Queen's corgi sculptures make a loss for Norfolk council at auction

Seven wicker corgi sculptures were bought by a council for a Platinum Jubilee arts trail

Giant wicker corgis which cost a council £3,000 each were sold off at a significant loss, it has emerged.

Broadland District Council spent £21,000 on seven of the sculptures to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

It commissioned the 6ft (1.8m) long, 4ft (1.2m) high statues to form an arts trail last summer, but, in a charity auction, four went under the hammer for just over £500 each.

The council said it could not comment before a meeting on Thursday.

The sculptures were bought in honour of the late Elizabeth II's favourite pet and displayed on the arts trail in Reedham, Thorpe St Andrew, Old Catton, Whitwell & Reepham Railway Station, Blickling Hall, Coltishall and Little Plumstead.

The Conservative-led council said that some of money spent on them could be recouped by selling them afterwards.

The corgis were displayed in various venues across Norfolk, with one pictured here with John Fisher, chairman of the council

Liberal Democrat councillor Caroline Karimi-Ghovanlou said they eventually reached a relatively low price.

"Four of the corgis were auctioned off at the beginning of this month," she said.

"They raised a total of £2,140 which has been donated to Nelson's Journey [a charity for bereaved children], which is a very worthwhile charity.

"My issue with that is that they didn't get the full cost of them back.

"I think the money would've been better spent elsewhere."

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One of the other sculptures has been given as a gift to King Charles.

It was named Susan, after the Queen's first corgi.

Speaking at a council meeting in December, Conservative councillor and deputy leader Trudy Mancini-Boyle said the wicker dog would be moving to the royal estate in Sandringham, in west Norfolk.

"We have had confirmation that the royal household would love to receive Susan as a gift from the council in recognition of our late Queen," she said.

Ms Karimi-Ghovanlou also said she wanted to know what the council planned to do with the two other corgis it still had.

Broadland District Council said it could not answer her question until it was asked at a full council meeting later this week.

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