A PIECE of artwork synonymous with Barrhead has been restored in the centre of the town.

The Circle of Hands, also known as the Barrhead Eye, now takes pride of place outside the Foundry.

Having been ripped from the ground when work began on the construction of Asda on Glen Street in 2013, the women involved in its creation have been crying out for the Circle of Hands’ reinstatement for over a year.

The Eye, created by the Barrhead Women’s Centre in 1994, features scenes from different periods of the town’s history and hand casts of more than 40 Barrhead primary school pupils.

Contractors used hammers, chisels and a petrol-powered circular saw to break the 21-year-old art piece which lay in bits at East Renfrewshire Council’s Thornliebank depot.

Rena McGuire, who was once the chairwoman of the Women’s Centre, is happy now that the local authority has restored the Circle of Hands to its former glory.

She said: “I think it’s great because we’ve been working with East Renfrewshire Council since it had been uplifted and I had taken it to the community council.

“It’s at the side of the Foundry and behind the Commonwealth Games bench.

“They chose where it’s laid at the moment.

“What happened there was when it was removed by Asda, I happened to be walking past and noticed it was gone and contacted the council and they didn’t know the background of it,” she added.

Based out of the McReadie Family centre, dozens of community groups were involved in the creation of the Circle of Hands which originally occupied a spot at one end of Centenary Park.

Various artworks, poems and songs were also contributed by local residents.

Rena added: “Unfortunately, the actual artwork and the designs were all damaged beyond repair when it was lifted.

“There was also a time capsule within it but Asda chose to keep it.

“As soon as they found out the background they took it on board.”