A PUB manager has accused people living nearby of not having a head for fun after they demanded a giant sultan bust on its roof be taken down.
But Derby City Council has taken the complaints on board and has told The Woodlands, in Blenheim Parade, Allestree, it must either apply for planning permission or take it down.
The statue, now spray-painted gold, had stood on top of the popular Derby nightclub, Zanzibar, for 15 years prior to the building being taken over by the restaurant chain Cosmo.
The firm decided to sell it and donate the money to the Derby Telegraph's minibus appeal.
It was snapped up from eBay by a group of friends who put the statue up on the roof of the pub.
They have now said that the plan was only to do this temporarily. But the council has written to the pub threatening it with legal action after a councillor received complaints from people living in the area.
Pub general manager Mark Ruddock said it was "saddening" that this had happened.
He said: "It's a shame because it was only ever going to be there for a temporary time.
"I would have thought people would have got behind it given its links to charity."
Mr Ruddock said he felt the council should have come to speak with him first instead of sending them a letter which said, if the pub did nothing about the issue, it would "take formal enforcement action".
He said yesterday that he would be speaking to the pub's owner, Stonegate, which might tell him to take it down immediately.
One of those who bought the statue, Steven Nicholson, 28, of Allestree, said the bust had been up since Saturday.
He said that he was not too upset at what had happened as his friends had already achieved what they set out to do – helping out a charity and getting the bust on the roof of the pub.
Mr Nicholson said he and his mates may now decide to sell it on again to make more money for charity.
Councillor Philip Hickson, who represents Allestree ward, said he had received complaints from four people about the statue and so decided to report it to the council's planning department.
He said: "This is a totally unacceptable situation and I fully support local residents in their wish to have the statue removed immediately.
"Allestree is a much sought-after and highly residential area and this statue is totally out of keeping. It looks grotesque. The pub manager and the brewery have broken the law by putting it up without planning permission and they must now face the consequences."
Read more: http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Zanzibar-sultan-bust-removal-threat/story-19350754-detail/story.html#ixzz2WsK9hKtu
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