Derek, Watchet’s adopted female snow goose and one of the town’s best-loved characters, was immortalised this week when a sculpture was unveiled during a ceremony during the Sunday street market on the Esplanade

Derek died a mysterious and violent death on the marina slipway in October last year after living in the marina for ten years and being fed and looked after by residents and boat-owners.

Local artist Chris Phillingham, who created the metal sculpture, unveiled it to warm applause from Derek’s fans who had raised more than £8,000 for a permanent memorial.

During her stay in Watchet Derek was provided with a giant nesting box although she preferred to bed down on the decks of her benefactors’ boats.

Introducing the artist to supporters, Carron Scott, who ran Derek’s Facebook page and first organised an action group to provide a memorial for the goose, said she was devastated when Derek was found dead at the bottom of the Esplanade slipway.

“She was part of Watchet for such a long time and it was decided we needed a memorial to fall in line with the Yankee Jack and the Ancient Mariner statues on the Esplanade” she said.

To pay for the memorial, Carron and Watchet councillor Loretta Whetlor launched a GoFundMe.appeal on line that raised more than £8,000.

Carron said the iconic snow goose was named Derek by boat owners who started feeding her. ‘It was only discovered she was a female when a vet gave her a health check,” she explained.

Derek got her biggest national publicity boost when she was highlighted on the satirical TV quiz show Have I Got News For You.

Her memorial sculpture is positioned by the railings above the slipway and Internet sites have been deluged with messages from as far away as Australia, America and Singapore.