THE World of Glass is looking to raise funds to renovate an exhibit which was once a part of the Church Street scenery.

Paddy, the jolly little figure that stood on the frontage of Peter Dewar’s tobacconists on Church Street, has been kept in storage at the museum.

He was put out on display earlier this year during the nostalgic Sign of The Times exhibition and now the museum is keen to have him on permanent view but will need to cover £2,000 worth of conservation costs.

"He's in quite bad condition and his leg is more or less hanging off and there's a crack on his body," said World of Glass curator Hannah Longworth.

"He needs conservation and we want to get him out on to the gallery but with the condition he's in he won't be able to take the environmental conditions of being out in the open.

"While the exhibition was on we had a donation of £100 from the daughter of the gentleman who owned it and she wanted to start the fundraising for him.

"He's now in a glass cabinet in the foyer and we are putting a donation box for people to put something in.

“Paddy himself is so popular we’d like to put him on permanent display here – just as he was on that shop front from the 1890s until it closed around 30 years ago.

"For everybody that sees him it tends to bring back a lot of memories and we do want to get him back out but he needs some TLC."