A LANDMARK art sculpture is missing a vital part.

The Kite Flyer statue spans Parchment Street close to the junction with St George's Street.

It was erected by the city council in 2009 as a way of increasing interest from passers-by on the High Street to explore the side street, packed as it is with independent shops and businesses.

Created by Marzia Colonna, it is a bronze figure of a young man flying a gilded kite while walking across a bridge which will span the street at a height of nearly six metres.

At the moment it is without the kite and it is unclear how that happened.

A council spokesman said: “Winchester City Council is undertaking essential repairs to this sculpture. The materials the artwork is made from had become fatigued and the council hopes to have the piece reinstalled as soon as possible.”

The bridge on which the flyer stand was constructed by Metal Art Design foundry in Denmead and incorporates two more kites and playful 'strings' tangle themselves around the steel structure.

The sculpture was erected following the city council decision in 2004 to reverse the traffic flow in the one-way street which led to a drop in passing trade.