Jane Austen plaque unveiled in Southampton theatre

A pictorial plaque dedicated to the life and work of Jane Austen has been unveiled in Southampton.

It replaces a previous one that hung in the Old Central Library until it was destroyed during World War Two when the city was bombed.

It has gone up in Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NFT) City building.

The novelist, whose works include Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, lived in Southampton between 1806 and 1809.

Austen was born in 1775 and grew up in nearby Steventon where her father was vicar. The family later moved to Bath.

The original stone plaque was erected in the old Central Library, on the corner of Cumberland Place and London Road, to mark the 100th anniversary of Austen's death.

Plans for the replacement, which was created by artist Chris Cudlip, were originated in 2017 to mark the 200th anniversary of her death.

Laura Eastwood, of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, said: "We look forward to welcoming fans of Jane Austen to see this wonderful new sculpture in her honour."

A waxwork, created using eyewitness accounts and the help of Emmy award-winning costume designer Andrea Galer and an FBI-trained forensic artist, was unveiled at the Jane Austen Centre in Bath in 2014.

A £100,000 bronze sculpture of the author was placed in Basingstoke last year to mark the bicentenary of her death.