A HOLIDAYMAKER expressed surprise and delight after discovering a version of the Dream sculpture in Barcelona.

Artist Jaume Plensa has unveiled his work outside the Palau de la Música Catalana in his home city.

This version, made of cast iron and 4.5 meters high is called Carmela, and like Dream depicts a young girl’s head and joins other smaller copies to the Sutton original.

Les Burns, from Rainhill, stumbled across the sculpture, said: “My wife, sister and I were in Barcelona the weekend before the referendum.

“We often walk around the Dream at Sutton Colliery site and when we were in Barcelona we happened upon it (the statue) by chance after watching a free concert in front of the nearby cathedral.

“We were all surprised and delighted when we saw the statue and could not believe it.

“We even tried to explain to other visitors that we had a much bigger one back home but it got lost in translation.”

Gary Conley, one of the leading figures in bringing Dream to St Helens, said: “That artwork has been shown in Yorkshire previously and will be in Barcelona for eight years.

“We should take it as a massive compliment that places like Barcelona, New York and Rio de Janiero have copies of the Dream.

“They have replicas but we, a little town called St Helens, have the original and that's a massive achievement.””