IT was a meeting of flowing locks as famously messy-haired London Mayor Boris Johnson came face to face with Bexley’s latest piece of public art.

Mr Johnson was introduced to The Cob statue with its flying mane, and its creator sculptor Andy Scott, while on a visit to Belvedere to open the new Belvedere link road.

The road is part of the £10.6m Belvedere Green Links regeneration project in Lower Belvedere which included nearly £2m from the Mayor’s London Development Agency.

This paid for the construction of the new link road which will open up connections in the industrial estates and the surrounding residential areas and unlock access to open space on Erith marshes.

The rest of the project, funded by the Homes and Communities Agency and European Regional Development Fund, will also provide improved links to Belvedere and Abbey Wood railway stations and between local parks; sustainable drainage systems; flood prevention improvements to the dyke network; improved footpaths and cycle paths and new signage, lighting and street furniture.

It is anticipated the regeneration could bring more than 8,000 new jobs to the area.

Opening the new road, Mr Johnson said: “Enjoying these beautiful marshes and the Thames riverbank is now so much easier.

“It gives local people a great place to spend time, provides welcome relief to the workers from the hustle and bustle of a busy industrial park and makes the whole area more attractive for investors, with a great working environment for staff and fast access to the road network.”

Bexley Council leader, Councillor Teresa O’Neill said she was delighted Bexley had managed to secure funding for the project, adding: “Belvedere has tremendous potential and I hope that the improvements we’ve made will help establish it as a desirable location for employers looking to do business in the Thames Gateway."

After opening the road, Mr Johnson visited the roundabout between Picardy Manorway and Bronze Age Way where a new 6m high galvanised steel statue of a gipy cob horse was installed in February as part of the regeneration project.

Mr Johnson also met Mr Scott whose creation has already become popular with Bexley residents.