A Chinese sculpture which came under fire from a British artist for its striking similarity to a London artwork she created was being removed on Wednesday after the landowners admitted it was a “copy”, an official said.

The sculpture has stood on the banks of Shanghai’s Huangpu River for ten years, but was criticised by artist Wendy Taylor for being an unauthorised replica of her ‘Timepiece’ artwork, which is located near Tower Bridge.

The copy, which is currently covered up and surrounded by yellow plastic boards, is set to be removed and then demolished by the local landowners, Shenjiang Co, a local official told The Telegraph.

“They said they will demolish the sculpture because it is a copy of a work done by a British artist,” said an official at Pudong New Area Planning and Land Authority, surnamed Wang.