Darth Vader figure appears in Bristol on former Edward Colston plinth

A figure of Darth Vader has been placed in Bristol on the plinth formerly belonging to the statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston.

The work has appeared in apparent tribute to the late actor David Prowse, who played the famous Sith lord in the original Star Wars trilogy and who died on Sunday (29 November) at the age of 85.

Prowse, who originates from Bristol, provided the physical performance for Darth Vader, while the character’s voice was that of James Earl Jones.

A Vader figurine appeared on the plinth overnight, with local reports unsure who is responsible for the placement.

It stands on the spot where the statue of Colston was toppled by protesters earlier this year, before being rolled into Bristol Harbour, in protest of his racist legacy.

Since the Colston statue was removed, various other objects have been placed upon the plinth, including a mannequin of reviled paedophile Jimmy Savile, and a figure of a Black Lives Matter protester.

Tributes poured in for Prowse in the wake of his death, with Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill writing that he was “so sad” to hear the news.

“He was a kind man and much more than Darth Vader,” Hamill said on Twitter. “He loved his fans as much as they loved him.”