Residents have been left 'gutted' after a 30ft golden statue of a naked man that 'brought Hollywood to Ince' was suddenly taken down.
The statue, affectionately nicknamed 'golden balls' and 'Willy' by locals, was seen being towed through Wigan on October 11, much to the dismay of its fans who have branded the removal 'absolutely ridiculous'. The nude statue, with 'unmissable features', was part of a promotion tour of the blockbuster movie Gladiator which starred Russell Crowe back in 2000.
Five years ago he was erected outside Titan Flooring Specialists in Wigan before living in the car park outside furniture store Bulldog Forge in Darlington Street East, Ince, since last year. But it has been towed following a planning permission dispute.
