Pirates emerge from sea at Brighton beach

The pirate statues were spotted on Brighton Beach, at Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters in Eastbourne and at Portsmouth Harbour.

The art installation was unveiled by Walt Disney Studios to launch the new film ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge’, which opens in cinemas today.

The sculptures were installed under the cover of night and were revealed at low tide the following morning. The two-metre-high statues portray the new characters from the film - the crew of the fearsome Spanish pirate-hunter Captain Salazar (played by Javier Bardem) and his shipmates Magda and Lasaro.

The figures were created by a dedicated team of sculptors who took six weeks to build the swashbuckling statues. The intricate designs were painted and sculpted by hand, featuring life-like attributes with flowing hair and accurate costumes from the film.

Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, commented: “The UK has always had a special place within the Pirates of the Caribbean history having filmed here many times. Therefore, it is a fitting tribute to have the fearsome crew of our terrifying new villain, Captain Salazar, descend on the shorelines of Great Britain to celebrate the launch of the new film.”

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge, the fifth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, is released in cinemas nationwide today.