Birmingham Commonwealth Games: Council considers keeping bull in city

The 10m tall mechanical bull dwarfs the city's other bull outside the Bullring shopping centre

Plans to keep a giant mechanical bull in Birmingham after it was star of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony are "in discussion", the council has said.

The 10m tall bull has attracted streams of tourists since going on display in the city's Centenary Square.

The bull, synonymous with the city, came steaming into the Alexander Stadium when the Games opened on Thursday.

However it was revealed it would likely be dismantled after the Games ended.

The uncertainty surrounding the bull's future sparked a strong reaction from locals who called for it to stay in the city.

• Games bull still centre stage but future uncertain

• Raging bulls & a Nobel laureate - Commonwealth Games open in style

• How can I get to events?

The leader of Birmingham City Council Ian Ward said the local authority was already "in discussion with partners to see what is possible for the future".

"It's already proving incredibly popular," he said.

The bull is drawing crowds taking selfies in Centenary Square

Mike Kelt, from creators and special effects company Artem, told the BBC on Friday that the bull was "too big to easily store anywhere".

Due to its size, moving it also required a lot of effort, he said. It took a 17-tonne vehicle to move it around the stadium.

"There's bits in it that have to be taken out, so if it was going to exist forever, somebody would have to pay for those bits to stay in it," he added.

The mechanical bull was the star of the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games