JUSTICE can be seen to be there again in Bungay after being shrouded from view for nearly six months.The historic figure of Justice atop the town's historic Butter Cross was officially unveiled by the town reeve, John Groom, yesterday following a �3000 makeover as a crowd watched from the Market Place.

JUSTICE can be seen to be there again in Bungay after being shrouded from view for nearly six months.

The historic figure of Justice atop the town's historic Butter Cross was officially unveiled by the town reeve, John Groom, yesterday following a �3000 makeover as a crowd watched from the Market Place.

Mr Groom scaled the scaffolding to perform the ceremony, accompanied by the town crier, Les Knowles, who rang his bell from on high to announce the historic moment for Bungay as one of the town's most photographed figures was put on view again.

Afterwards he said: “The Butter Cross and Justice are a great focal point for Bungay, featured on every holiday brochure and promotion of Bungay. I have never seen Justice as close up as this before, and to see her actual sandals and the facial features the makeover has revealed is fantastic.

“Once the scaffolding is down she will be fully revealed in all her glory and that is going to be good for the town.”

The unique figure, one of few anywhere in which Justice is not blindfolded, was cast in lead in the London workshops of Henry and John Cheere, and placed in position in 1754, secured on an oak base.

Over the ensuing two and a half centuries maintenance has been carried out at regular intervals. The latest major refurbishment saw 28 layers of paint stripped off, and she was repaired, with her sandals revealed for the first time for many years, re-primed and repainted by Carl Cook and Julia Nuttall, of AHH Scaffolding.

Working under the guidance of experts, they used special paint stripper to gradually remove a 4cm layer of paint which had built up over the years.

The last big operation for Justice was in 1976 when the rotten oak base was replaced by Bungay carpenter Alf Plummer, of Garden Close, the figure having to be craned from her position to allow that to happen. Alf, now 90, was among those watching yesterday's ceremony, along with the Mayor, John Warnes, feoffees of Bungay Town Trust, which owns the Butter Cross, and many interested onlookers.