London: One hundred naked men have been allowed to stay on a northwest beach.
After months of wrangling over safety and environmental concerns, one of the country's most striking art installations has been granted a permanent home.
The tide turned for artist Anthony Gormley's sculpture - 100 life-size human statues spread over a northwest seashore - when the local council voted for it to stay.
Gormley, who modelled the Iron Men on his own body, said he was "absolutely delighted" by the decision.
"It's wonderful that my homeless, wandering tribe of men have found a permanent home. The idea that a part of the beach can now become a permanent place of contemplation and reverie is wonderful," he added.
The cast-iron figures, each weighing about 700 kilograms (1,543 lb), stand facing the sea horizon and are submerged at high tide.
The statues, entitled "Another Place," were initially given a permit for temporary installation.
The works, which had earlier been displayed in Germany, Norway and Belgium, became a major tourist attraction on Crosby Beach near Liverpool.
But coastguard authorities expressed safety fears, saying people could become stuck in soft sand and be cut off by the tide when viewing the statues up close.
Conservationists had also complained that bird-feeding areas had been compromised by the extra tourist traffic.
Last October, the local council refused permission for the statues to stay, prompting Gormley to criticise what he called Britain's "risk-averse culture."
"When I have been down on the beach myself, the majority of people have been intrigued, amused, sometimes very moved," he said.
Another Body Place Ltd, a body set up to campaign for the permanent installation, helped to convince the council to change its mind.
Graham Haywood, Chief Executive of Sefton Council, said in a statement "Despite some controversy, this internationally renowned artwork has aroused national and international public and media support."
"The Iron Men have placed Crosby and Sefton firmly in the spotlight and the knock-on benefits of this should be felt for years to come."
The planning committee decided to move 13 of the statues back away from an area used by small sailing craft. Three others are being re-sited away from bird feeding areas.
Gormley is best known for his 20-metre tall "Angel of the North," a massive steel sculpture of an angel situated on the edge of Gateshead, near Newcastle.
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