Henry Moore's sculpture 'Old Flo' returns to east London

Artist’s 1957 work, nearly sold off by Tower Hamlets council, had been in Yorkshire but is now on display at Canary Wharf

The much travelled Henry Moore sculpture of a draped woman, affectionately known as Old Flo, is back on public display in east London having survived vandalism, the demolition of her original setting, a custody battle in the courts and attempts by a council to raise cash by auctioning her off.
However, the statue is now sited on private land – though still accessible to the public – among the towers of Canary Wharf, and not as originally intended by the artist to bring a little joy into the heart of a council estate.
“Old Flo has an important place in our borough’s history and heritage,” said John Biggs, the mayor of Tower Hamlets. “I am delighted to have her back in the East End where she belongs.”

Biggs’s predecessor as mayor, Lutfur Rahman – who was forced from office after being found guilty of electoral fraud – was determined to sell the sculpture through a Christie’s auction for an estimated £20m.