Keen-eyed Helston residents will have noticed the disappearance of the town's cannon, salvaged from the wreck of the HMS Anson, from outside the museum.

But there is no need to fear, as the historic artillery piece has simply been removed to allow much needed repair work to be carried out to its carriage.

The cannon was salvaged from the site of the wreck of the Anson at Loe Bar in the 1960s, but the platform that supports it is a replica, created by RNAS Culdrose, and now the base has offered to carry out the maintenance.

Following a lot of digging in the archives of the old Kerrier District Council, Cornwall Councillor Judith Haycock, discovered that the cannon appears to be part of the Helston Museum collections, so South Kerrier Heritage Trust, who now manage Helston Museum, have been working with staff at Culdrose on this project.

The cannon is extremely heavy and Culdrose have the equipment and skills to do the work, which was last done by them in the early 1990s.

Mrs Haycock, who is also chairman of South Kerrier Heritage Trust said: “We were really grateful when Culdrose offered to do the maintenance work. The cannon is important to people in Helston and the museum, we need to make sure it is looked after. “Once the work has been completed it will be return to its original position.”