Harry Kane: Chingford statue in storage for years with nowhere to go

Harry Kane's spokesperson said he was "really excited" about the statue

A statue of England captain Harry Kane has been hidden in storage for years because councillors cannot find a home for it.

Waltham Forest Council in north-east London allocated £7,200 in 2019 and 2020 to have the sculpture made of the Chingford-raised footballer.

The life-size figure reportedly depicts the striker sitting on a bench.

Chingford resident Trevor Calver, who uncovered its existence, said it was a "joke" that the artwork was in storage.

Emma Best and Roy Berg, the Conservative councillors for Chingford's Endlebury ward who approved the project, had planned to install the statue on a platform at Chingford Overground station.

But their proposal was rejected following a risk assessment carried out by Transport for London.

For reasons that remain unclear, the two councillors scrapped a previous proposal to place it in Ridgeway Park, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Ms Best said she had spent "hours and hours" trying to agree a home for the statue with "stakeholders".

Mr Berg said there were no available pictures of the statue when asked by BBC News.

'Top goal scorer'

A spokesperson for Kane said they were "really excited" about the statue and it was hoped it could be revealed "in the coming months".

"Especially with Harry being England and Tottenham's all time top goal scorer. It is what he deserves," the spokesperson said.

"The location of the statue is really important to us and like Emma said we are having some issues at the moment, but when we get it right, we will be happy to go."

Plans to install the statue at Chingford station were rejected following a risk assessment

When asked last year about the prospect of a statue at the grounds of his former club, Tottenham Hotspur, Kane told Sky Sports News: "A statue is a statue, it's not something that's going to make or break my career."

Mr Calver said he had been trying to find out where the statue was and who was paying for the storage.

"It's ridiculous, £7,200 up the swanny. It's a joke - but it's not funny," he said.

A Waltham Forest Council spokesperson said community ward funding projects were suggested by residents and delivered by councillors.

The council said there was "clear guidance" on what could and could not receive funding.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]