New guidance published by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer aims to help institutions that own heritage assets handle calls for their removal or relocation following several high-profile campaigns.

They will be asked to follow the principle of "retain and explain" - whereby relics with a controversial history or past are kept, but a full explanation is provided "so that a fuller understanding of the historic context can be known, understood and debated".

Academics and heritage experts of the government-appointed Heritage Advisory Board have helped formulate the guidance following cases including the statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes and slave trader Edward Colston.

If it is decided that the asset should be relocated, custodians must follow a planning application process.

Ms Frazer said: "History is nuanced and complex. It is full of grey areas, which is what makes it so interesting and, of course, there are times when statues and monuments depict people or events that we very much disapprove of today.

"At the same time, the UK has a proud history as an engine for progress, democracy and liberal values.

"That is why I want all our cultural institutions to resist being driven by any politics or agenda and to use their assets to educate and inform rather than to seek to erase the parts of our history that we are uncomfortable with."

During her speech to the Tory Party conference in Manchester, Ms Frazer claimed the toppling or removing of statues amounted to "cancel culture".

"What some call culture wars, I say is standing up for our principles: pride, tolerance, understanding, learning, respect, fairness and common sense," she said.

"And it is why I will shortly be publishing new guidance on retain and explain for statues, so that rather than tearing down our history we can understand it."

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In 2020, the Victorian-era statue of 17th century merchant and slave trader Colston was toppled into Bristol Harbour amid protests related to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Four protesters were later found not guilty of causing criminal damage after toppling the statue.

Others, including an Oxford college's statue of Rhodes, have been subject to campaigns for their removal.

In 2021, it was decided the controversial statue would stay in place because of the difficulties associated with removing it.