Lifesize Captain Tom statue for sale on eBay for £29,000 after failing to find a public home

22 January 2024, 13:17 | Updated: 22 January 2024, 14:17

A life-size bronze statue of Captain Sir Tom Moore has been posted on eBay for £29,000 after failing to find a public home.

Entitled The Walk of Hope, the 5ft 3in sculpture was promoted with a crowdfunding and publicity campaign when it was finished in October 2020. The co-designer behind the statute wanted it to be displayed in Captain Tom's native Yorkshire.

Leeds-based artistic creator Tony Clark commissioned artists in Indonesia to make the life-sized statue of the record-breaking fundraiser.

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Clark has previously said in an update on a GoFundMe page that he had a "heavy heart" after being unable to engage Captain Tom's family and Bradford Council in locating a home for the statue.

Writing in September 2022, he said: "My wishes are now to draw a conclusion to this and hopefully have a positive outcome. I am left with a bronze statue that needs a permanent site, that is owned by a private business or person.

"This site ideally will be somewhere that the public can access to view, preferably in Yorkshire, better still in Keighley where he was from.

"But I am open to ideas, please contact me if anyone has any suggestions.

"I just want to close this chapter in my life but equally see this piece go somewhere suitable."

The GoFundMe page gives a target of £60,000 to cover the statue's costs, with 10% being donated to The Veterans Charity.

On eBay, the seller describes the likeness as the original piece commissioned in 2020 to commemorate Captain Tom’s "amazing achievements'.

The vendor says that "the foundation and family have nothing to do with this piece and will not endorse it either".

Read More: Captain Tom's charity boss quits months after bid to oust family

Captain Tom became a national hero during the first Covid lockdown after raising £38.9million by walking laps of his garden.

After he died, his family continued his fundraising work through the foundation.

The charity is currently under a Charity Commission investigation over possible conflicts of interest, mismanagement and whether the trustees fulfilled their legal duties and responsibilities.  

Captain Tom’s daughter is also involved in a saga concerning a planning application for a spa pool block at their home.

The family lost an appeal against an order from Central Bedfordshire Council to remove the Captain Tom Foundation Building, with an inspector ruling that it must be demolished by February 7.

People took to X -formerly Twitter - to comment on the statue.

Andy Komenda wrote: "Perhaps his family could put it in the space where the spa was before its demolition."

While user Aaron wrote: "They can place it on a plinth on their newly built spa."