QUITE literally, it has cost Miguel Santiago and arm and a leg to get his statue repaired.

But then, there are some thing that have to be done. "Why an earth thieves should want to take the hand and foot from a wooden sculpture I don't know, but they did," said Mr Santiago, the managing director of the Priory restaurant in Caerleon and a leading supporter of the village's annual arts festival.

"The sculpture is a depiction of the wizard Merlin, ensnared in an oak tree by the wood sprite Morgana and frankly would have looked quite ridiculous if the central figure was without one hand and one foot.

"I approached the sculptor, Ed Harrison, who agreed to carve another hand and another foot for Merlin.

"These have now been securely reunited with his body." A veritable forest of wooden sculptures have popped up all over Caerleon after the first festival of sculpture in the village which last year attracted artists from as far afield as China.

Apart from the theft from the Merlin and Morgan figure and some minor damage to another piece, vandalism has been minimal.

"The summer's sculpture festival was extremely successful and will be repeated this year," said Dr Russell Rhys, owner of the Ffwrrm Arts Centre and the driving force behind the festival.

"The theme was Roman and Celtic life, but we were looking for work which put the widest possible interpretation on this.

"People from places as far apart as Scotland and China came to Caerleon, and for a week or so the Hanbury Field was turned into a scene of fervent sawing, hammering and carving as ten wonderful pieces of art took shape."

Artists who took part in Caerleon's first festival of sculpture were paid £1000 each and fed, housed and entertained for the festival's duration. The ten finished pieces of work were then placed at strategic locations throughout the village.

"This year we have increased the grant to £1200 and have had enquiries from as far away as New Zealand," Dr Rhys said.

"The aim is to make Caerleon to sculpture what Hay-on-Wye is to books. This week we are having an open meeting in the village."

"There has been tremendous support for another festival not only from the people of the village but from important institutions such as the Celtic Manor, the university and Newport city council.

"We are delighted that Merlin has got his hand and foot back, but we still have another problem to face which you could say is a matter of us being victims of our own success.

"We have run out of large pieces of oak for this year's visiting sculptors to carve. We are hoping that if the high autumnal winds blow over old trees the owners will get in touch with me on 01633 430777."