A six-foot-tall naked man is once again policing the residents of Wigan after previously being banned by the council.
The statue, nicknamed ‘Golden Balls’, stood outside a vintage shop until 2022, but had to be removed after neighbors complained.
It’s not quite Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, but the store’s 60-year-old owner, Grant Adamson, said customers were “heartbroken” when the store had to be removed six months after appearing.
He has now set it up again to spread some ‘Christmas cheer’.
Wigan Council said they were ‘aware’ of its return and are assessing whether to take action.
The striking gold statue is of a Roman gladiator and was once used to promote the Russell Crowe blockbuster on the theme in 2000.
You can now see it at Bulldog Forge, in Ince, Wigan, Greater Manchester.
There had been a campaign to bring back Golden Balls, with Facebook pages set up calling for the statue to be restored.
Grant Adamson said it had become a ‘landmark’: ‘People were always asking me when he was coming back, so I decided to take him for Christmas.’
He had agreed to store the statue in 2022, despite disputing the council’s claim that it needs planning permission because it sits on his land, on a trailer that can be moved and does not extend over the property line.
Posting on social media, many were thrilled to see the heroic figure return, with one writing: ‘YESSSSSSSSS FINALLY GOLDEN BALLS IS HOME LOL’
Another said: ‘Yay, he brightened my day!’
Grant said, “It’s good for the business and good for the community.”
It won’t last long though, just to spread a little Christmas magic.
A spokesperson for Wigan Council said: ‘We are aware that a large statue has been landed in Darlington Street East, Ince, and are assessing whether council permission is required.’
‘On a previous occasion, the council informed the landowner that advertising permission was required for the statue.
“It was subsequently removed by the landowner before any action was taken.”
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