Statue of computing pioneer Ada Lovelace unveiled in Hinckley

Project leader Stan Rooney said: “Ada Lovelace was remarkably ahead of her time.

“Not only did she help Charles Babbage with his conception of an early computer, but she showed that a computer could be programmed and that it had applications beyond just crunching numbers.”

Rooney said “she loved Hinckley” and it was fitting to give the town its first statue and “an identity”.

“You could say Hinckley has become faceless, so we’re hoping that Hinckley will become known as the home of Ada Lovelace,” he added.

He said the location for the sculpture was chosen to inspire girls and young women to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Marion Plant, principal and chief executive of the college, said: “This statue will stand as a visible reminder to our students, staff and the wider community that ambition, curiosity and talent can change the world.

“We hope that it will particularly encourage people, especially girls and young women, to consider opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, areas that are central to Ada Lovelace’s legacy.”

The statue is a replica of one commissioned by a property developer for a building in Westminster, London.

The sculptors who created it, Mary and Etienne Millner, had agreed to allow the mould to be used to replicate the original statue.