The special bond between Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Neyland is to be celebrated once again, as plans go full steam ahead to replace the statue that was stolen a year ago.

And this time extra security is planed to keep the statue safe from metal thieves.

The Mayor of Neyland, Councillor John Llewellyn has confirmed an insurance payout now means plans can be engineered to fill the empty plinth on Brunel Quay.

“Neyland is very proud of its association with Brunel. A lot of people used to come here just to see the statue,” said Cllr Llewellyn.

“It was the centrepiece of Neyland, and people were devastated. I could not believe it when I got that call saying it had gone.

“It’s just lost without the Brunel statue overlooking what was the railway line.”

It has also been confirmed that the estate of the original sculptor, the late Robert Thomas will be involved in replacing the eight-foot tribute.

Neyland county councillor and local historian Simon Hancock, said: “It is some social justice that the people of Neyland, having been robbed of the statue almost exactly a year ago, that it will be replaced.

“We’ll have to wait for the day, but it will be nice for it to go back to the original location on the plinth which has been quite poignantly empty.”

If developments progress quickly, residents and visitors alike may only have to wait a matter of months in order to visit the statue once again.

Neyland town clerk, Natasha Capland added: “We still want it to be accessible to the public but we are looking at security.

“We’ve got in contact with other places to look at the way they secure their statues.”

The statue was stolen sometime overnight on August 22nd last year and although two men were originally arrested in connection with the theft, they were later released without charge.