Statue honours space scientist at former North Lincolnshire school

A famous space scientist has been honoured by a statue outside his former school in North Lincolnshire.

Wallace Sargent's work helped advance knowledge of black holes and the formation of galaxies.

The son of a steelworker and a cleaner he was born in 1935 and grew up in the town of Winterton.

He later worked at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich before moving to the United States and becoming a professor of astronomy in California.

The 6ft high (2m) steel sculpture shows Mr Sargent gazing up at the stars.

It was created by local artist Michael Scrimshaw and stands outside Winterton Junior School.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ian Dyer, chair of Winterton 2022, said the monument was about "inspiring others".

"The sculpture stands as a symbol of our shared history and collective ambition, showing the story of one of our own who began humbly and achieved incredible things," he said.

"It's more than just a monument, it serves as a source of inspiration for our community, especially young people."

Mr Sargent continued his education at Scunthorpe Technical College before studying astronomy at Manchester University in the 1950s.

He was made a fellow of the Royal Society in 1981 and an associate of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1998.

In 2006, an asteroid discovered in 1960 was named after him: 11758 Sargent. It takes more than five and a half Earth years to complete its orbit around the sun.

He taught and carried out research at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and held classes up until his death in 2012.

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]