The Barmouth Maoi Maoi which has been on the beach for years is now back on its plinth after toppling over due to shifting dunes.

At three metres high, the wooden carving of an Easter Island Maoi man has been a great hit with tourists, though few know where he came from.

The head was donated by a Midlands couple who saw it being carved at Powys Castle, and decided to buy it for their garden for 10 years before passing it on to the people of Barmouth.

It gives out an environmental message about preservation, reminding us that deforestation and rising sea levels are threatening communities like the Maoi people of the Pacific’s Easter islands.

The head was found lying on its side like a piece of driftwood last week, raising fears that it had been pushed over.

But Barmouth councillor Ron Triggs said: “Dumdum is now upstanding again. These tumbles are not unusual due to ever moving dunes.”

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