Statue of Feathers McGraw from Wallace and Gromit unveiled to “booing” crowd

"Arrest that chicken!" was among the jeers from the crowd.

The unveiling was part of the opening of the Animate, Preston’s new £45 million entertainment complex.

Feather McGraw's statue is located near Wallace and Gromit’s existing bronze bench, at Preston Markets, which was unveiled in 2021.

A sizeable crowd gathered to watch Nick Park, the creator of the beloved series, unveil the 4ft statue.

Some fans playfully booed, with one shouting "Arrest that chicken!" referencing Feathers’ infamous disguise.

Speaking at the unveiling, Park said: "As a proud Prestonian, I couldn’t be more ‘egg-cited’ to see Feathers McGraw joining Wallace and Gromit in my hometown. I’m not sure how happy Wallace and Gromit will be, though, to have their arch-nemesis a little too close for comfort.”

The iconic villain first made his appearance in The Wrong Trousers, in which Wallace and Gromit bust him as a criminal penguin posing as a chicken.

He then made his return in the Oscar-nominated Vengeance Most Fowl, which aired on Christmas Day and has also scooped two BAFTA wins.

Vengeance Most Fowl marked the first Wallace and Gromit film in 16 years and the first without Wallace's voice actor Peter Sallis, who passed away in 2017.

Speaking previously to the BBC, Park said of Sallis' passing: "It has been quite emotional (doing this production) since we lost Peter, he was such an original, unique voice.

"So it's very hard for anyone to step into his shoes. But we have been blessed with a youngish actor whom we've known for many years who can do a fantastic Wallace impersonation.

"He's stepped in very kindly, and is just great. It's hard to tell them apart."