Darwin tribute a privilege for firm

The design team chosen to create a sculpture to mark Charles Darwin's bicentenary celebrations today said it was a privilege to be making the piece for Shrewsbury.

The proposed memorial Quantum Leap has been likened to dinosaur bones and DNA, the human backbone and the arches of bridges.

But its creators Pearce & Lal are hoping it will enhance residents' and visitors' knowledge of Shropshire's unique geological story.

Their design suggests the layers of rock that lie beneath the landscape and in some cases rise up to create the Shropshire Hills.

Ranbir Lal, from Pearce & Lal, said: "It is a privilege to work on a memorial to Charles Darwin.

"We hope that the sculpture we have designed in his memory expresses the vitality and range of his ideas, and brings them alive to the people of modern-day Shrewsbury."