A Vincent Van Gogh statue in Brixton will not feature a pipe, gun and razor blade after concerns about the area's problems with violent crime.

Lancashire-based artist Anthony Padgett unveiled his bronze of the Dutch painter in south London, last week, close to where Van Gogh lodged after moving to London for work in 1873.

Original designs for the still life depicted Van Gogh's head surrounded by a selection of his personal affairs including a smoking pipe, a cut throat razor and a revolver.

The Dutchman infamously severed his own ear with a razor blade in 1888 while in France in an act of self-mutilation and killed himself two years later after shooting himself in the chest with a Lefaucheux revolver.

Mr Padgett said he chose to consult with Lambeth Council about the inclusion of the items before seeking permission for his artwork to be sited in Van Gogh Walk, a pedestrianised garden area close to Hackford Road where he lived for a short period, The Art Newspaper originally reported.

Following an "informal discussion" with council officers, he decided to remove the gun, razor blade and pipe because of Brixton's perceived associations with violent crime and drugs.

The modified statue, which stands next to a primary school named after Van Gogh, includes the Dutchman's head accompanied by two sunflowers and a pile of books.