Mexico (AP):

Officials in Nuevo Laredo have destroyed more than 35 statues dedicated to a 'Death Saint' popular with drug traffickers.

The statues, most depicting a robe-covered skeleton resembling the Grim Reaper, lined highways and roads in and around the Mexican city on the border with Texas. One of the statues was located at the base of an international bridge linking Mexico and the US.

Soldiers stood guard yesterday as city workers were seen taking down statues. The effort started before dawn on Tuesday.

A local official, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation from the drug gangs, said remnants of the statues will be left at local police stations for owners to reclaim.

The Death Saint is not recognised by the Roman Catholic Church, but has become popular among organised crime figures in Mexico. Many of the statues were elaborate, marble constructions - some with electric lighting. Devotees often left offerings.