BILLIONS of pounds worth of urgent renovation work could force MPs out of the crumbling Houses of Parliament, but a statue of Queen Victoria discovered in the shrubbery of a Hampshire garden underlines that the buildings have needed frequent repairs.
The 5ft 8in (1.73m) high carved stone figure (left) was probably removed from the Palace of Westminster during restoration works to the façade in the late 19th or early 20th century. It was spotted on a routine valuation by Guy Schwinge of Duke’s of Dorchester and will now be offered in the February 23 auction, estimated at £3000-5000.