A NEWPORT-BASED engineering firm will restore a famous London arch 16 years after it was removed from public view, in time for this summer’s Olympic Games.

Cintec International will use its patented anchoring system to strengthen the iconic Henry Moore arch to its foundations in the capital’s Kensington Gardens.

The sculpture was unveiled in 1980 and quickly became a popular tourist attraction.

But cracks began to showin 1996 and concerns over its structural stability led to the 19-foot, 60-tonne arch being dismantled and removed.

Now, 16 years later, the sculpture’s “gift to the nation” is to be reassembled.

Cintec, of Goldtops, is using Archtec anchors, kept in place with specialist grout, to support and strengthen the arch from within and prevent further collapse.

Work on the project is already under way and is expected to be finished later this month.

The company’s production manager, Alastair Barber, said the firm was delighted to be bringing the much-loved arch back to its plinth for the enjoyment of the public for many years to come.

The engineering company has previously restored many of the world’s important buildings, including Buckingham Palace, the White House, and is currently working to save the world’s oldest pyramid, the Pyramid of Djoser, in Egypt.