COUNCIL bosses have defended spending £25,000 of taxpayers’ money on creating two bronze statues outside a plush high street store.

Documents have emerged showing Essex County Council finance boss John Spence rubber-stamped the grant to pay for about one-third of the £75,000 project, led by high street department store Fenwick.

The money had to be spent before last Friday - the final working day of the financial year.

The statues, designed by renowned artist Sean Henry, were unveiled in Colchester High Street last month, after Fenwick completed a £40 million overhaul of its store, previously named Williams and Griffin.

In a statement a County Hall spokesman said: “Essex County Council is committed to improving all aspects of quality of life for its residents, one of those aspects is making the areas we live and work special.

“After investing many millions of pounds transforming their store and the surrounding buildings on Colchester High Street, Fenwick has very kindly gifted the people of Essex two pieces of public art by a sculptor of international renown.

“The pieces have been in place on Colchester High Street for little over a fortnight, and they have already provoked strong debate – as good art so often does.”

He added: “Fenwick approached Essex County Council in 2016, having identified funding for one sculpture and with a view to adding a second figure to complement and enhance the impact of the other. “We are thrilled with how this has turned out and are immensely pleased to have contributed.”

The public art was agreed in a planning agreement between Fenwick and Colchester Council when planning permission was given by the authority.

Tim Young (Lab), Colchester councillor responsible for culture and regeneration, welcomed how the money had been spent in Colchester but he said it was for County Hall bosses to justify spending public cash on the project.

He said: “Although it was agreed with the Section 106 agreement that they would install public art, there is no actual Colchester Council money in there at all.

“If we had been asked directly for a contribution towards the statues, I doubt we would have been able to provide it.”

He added: “Personally, I am happy they are there and they are a talking point - a conversation piece.

“Whether £25,000 of public money being spent on them is right, who knows, but Essex County Council decided it is.”