The statue has languished in storage for years because Chingford councillors cannot find a home for it
Pictures of a Harry Kane statue that has been hidden in storage for years have been released.
Photos obtained by the Big Issue show the Chingford-raised striker sitting on a bench, sporting an England kit and holding a football on his knee.
The photos were supplied to Waltham Forest Council by a Warwickshire-based sculptor firm called Sculpture Machine, the Big Issue says.
The statue has languished in storage for years because Conservative councillors cannot find a home for it. In 2019 and 2020, Endlebury ward councillors Emma Best and Roy Berg allocated £7,200 from Waltham Forest Council’s ‘community ward funding’ pot to the statue of the England captain.
Speaking previously to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Cllr Best partly attributed the delay in its unveiling to the pandemic but argued that she has spent “hours and hours” trying to find the right time and place for its reveal.
It still remains unclear where the statue is and if it will ever see the light of day. Hopes to install it on a platform at Chingford Station were dashed when Transport for London (TfL) rejected the proposal following a safety risk assessment.
A second proposal to place the statue in Ridgeway Park – the Bayern Munich player was an alumnus of the local youth team Ridgeway Rovers – was also slapped down.
The statue was funded through Waltham Forest Council’s community ward funding, an annual grant of up to £10,000 for “local initiatives, projects or improvements” that councillors in each of the borough’s wards share out.
The photos have received a largely negative reaction on social media, with commentators declaring they are unimpressed with the statue’s appearance.
On Facebook, someone wrote: “It’s hideous. Nothing like him.”
An X user wrote: “Surely a site should’ve been agreed before commissioning the statue. However, common sense seems to be lacking in current politicians.”
Others commented that it appeared to be made of chocolate, with one X user pondering if Dairy Milk bars were used in for the sculpture.
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