Unseen photos of 'fugly' £7,200 Harry Kane statue leave fans questioning council's use of taxpayer money as they 'wonder no longer' why tribute to Bayern Munich & England star has been kept in storage FIVE years

Waltham Forest Council splashed out £7,200 in 2019 on a Harry Kane statue that has spent the last five years in storage after being unable to find a home. The initial plan to locate it at Chingford Overground station fell through, ensuring the statue has been kept locked up and out of sight. Previously unseen photos have now emerged online, courtesy of the Big Issue, and have not gone down well with supporters and taxpayers alike.

First up was X user @_jasminehahn, who branded the statue "fugly" and questioned the council's use of taxpayers' hard-earned money. "Councils can spend shitloads of money on a fugly statue but not collect your bins," she added.

Former BBC journalist Julian Shea was also unimpressed: "Still, it's good news about the 5.7% council tax rise in Waltham Forest..."

The photos of the statue also resolve one particular mystery, according to @nick_affleck, who wrote on X: "Spurs fans who were wondering why Chingford’s Harry Kane statue is still 'on the bench' …wonder no longer."

Kane is not the first player to have a statue that has been lambasted by fans. An infamous sculpture of Cristiano Ronaldo in Madeira was universally criticised in 2017 and eventually replaced. Other more recent efforts have been more successful, with Manchester City having unveiled statues to Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva outside their ground. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has also previously announced his intention to build a statue of Lionel Messi outside Camp Nou.

Kane's fame has only grown in the last five years, with the prolific striker cementing his position as one of the best in the business and currently breaking records in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. There may even be clamour for a new statue for Kane if he can fire England to glory at Euro 2024 this summer.