The popular sculpture was thrown out of Swan Walk - where it has stood for 17 years - primarily because of commercial demands, asset managers Morley have told the County Times.

Hundreds of Swan Walk customers have written, texted and telephoned the County Times to protest at the removal of the sculpture at the weekend.

The County Times has launched a campaign to get it reinstated and a petition form appears in the issue currently on sale.

Fund manager Chris Paterson said "This decision has not been made lightly.

"We've got to respect the views of the local community and balance these views against the interests of the policy holders who own the asset and our customers."

Mr Paterson said Horsham shoppers would agree Swan Walk was looking 'of its time' and insisted Lorne McKean's popular centrepiece was in the way of a series of planned modernisation initiatives.

He said Swan Walk wanted to use the swans' spot to make a new flexible and interactive space for commercial and community activities.

Mr Paterson confirmed that concerns raised by a safety and environmental review were part of the decision but were not the driving force behind the controversial decision.

He said the risk of Legionnaires' disease had been considered in the decision-making process but that the desire to bring Swan Walk up-to-date with a new expanded events space was the most important factor.

He said: "We must work to modernise the centre in the face of increasing competition from nearby shopping centres like Crawley and Guildford.

"We are trying to create an environment where retailers are happy to come to Horsham.

"Retail is always changing and we must make changes to keep up with this."

Mr Paterson said the sculpture was being donated to the people of Horsham who would now have better access to it.

"It's not disappearing, it's moving to become a public piece of art in a public space rather than a private piece of art in a semi-private place."

Gary Shipton, Editor In Chief of the County Times who is leading the newspaper's campaign, said he was appalled that the centre's owners had not given the full reasons from the outset.

"The owners clearly do not understand the people of Horsham or their customers here. To throw out this wonderful sculpture in the name of modernising the centre is simply ludicrous.

"Our paper and website will fight on - hopefully with the support of Horsham District Council."

Mr Shipton added: "If Swan Walk's owners are anxious to boost trade in the future they would do better to get car parking charges slashed rather than remove this fabulous work of art which does so much to attract visitors."