BOLTON'S colourful new elephants have been removed from Newport Street less than a week after they were unveiled.

The three sculptures, which cost £30,000, have been put into temporary storage after they were vandalised.

A council spokesman said one elephant had been damaged beyond repair and the other two had become unstable.

"We are extremely disappointed that something like this should happen so soon after the new elephants were installed," said a council spokesman.

"The elephants were chosen from more than 1,500 designs sent in by Bolton children and it's going to be heart-breaking for them to read and hear about this."

Ellie, the purple elephant, was worst affected. It had been left with large cracks in its trunk and head.

"Ellie appears to be damaged beyond repair," said the council spokesman.

"As a precaution, the council has decided to remove all three elephants because the other two have been loosened from their bases."

The elephants were removed by the council at 7.30am yesterday. They were only unveiled last Thursday, replacing three grey elephant sculptures that had stood in Newport Street since the mid-1980s.

A Newport Street trader said: "They looked like they had been dug up, and had definitely been vandalised.

"The trunk of one of them had been split, and there was a big chunk missing out of its ear."

Another trader said: "I don't know why they had to take away the old grey ones. What a waste of tax payers' money."

Bolton Council had hoped that the brightly-coloured elephant sculptures would become a tourist attraction. Their colourful patterns were designed by three Bolton schoolchildren who had won a design competition, in which pupils from 121 schools took part.

They were made from Jesmonite, which was supposed to be more durable, weatherproof and environmentally-friendly than the material the original elephants were made from.

The council has reported the vandalsim to the police and is appealing for help from the public to catch the vandals.

Anyone who may have seen anything, or has any information on the vandalism, should call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.