A beloved elephant sculpture was knocked down by a car and a parish council is now appealing for help to repair it.

Commuters get a daily reminder of Oxford Zoo as they pass Kidlington roundabout and see an image of its most famous occupant, Rosie the elephant.

BEFORE 

Oxford Mail:

AFTER 

Oxford Mail:

ALSO READ: Memories of Kidlington Zoo and Rosie the elephant

But at 10pm on Saturday the one-tonne sculpture was struck by a car.

Kidlington Parish Council said the 'undercarriage and legs' of the elephant have been damaged and is now looking for a barn or outbuilding in the village where it can be repaired.

It posted on Facebook: "As you may have seen Rosie was hit by a car on Saturday night. Fortunately nobody was hurt in the collision. We met with the artist yesterday to discuss how to repair her and hope to have her back on her feet ASAP.

"We’re looking for a barn or outbuilding where she can be suspended as most of the damage is to her undercarriage and legs. Please contact us if you can help."

ALSO READ: Is Rosie the zoo elephant buried in Kidlington?

Council staff member Alyson Bateman said it's 'very sad' that the 'iconic' elephant was damaged but that it will hopefully be fixed by the Spring in 8-10 weeks' time.

But finding somewhere to repair her is key as it needs to be big enough for her to be suspended.

Thames Valley Police said nobody was injured in the crash and that Francesko Pisha, 22, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.

He appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Monday and was bailed to appear again at the same court on January 28, 2022.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.