Opposition leaders at the Guildhall have called for a £2 million Egyptian statue to be put back on display at Northampton’s museum.
The Sekhemka statue is more than 4,000 years old, but the current leaders of Northampton Borough Council have said it should be sold because it “adds nothing to the town’s heritage”.
However, the Liberal Democrat opposition have called for it to be put back on display.
Councillor Brendan Glynane (Lib Dem, Delapre & Briar Hill) said: “Many people in Northampton want to keep the statue, but the Conservatives don’t listen.”
However, the leader of the authority, Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm) pointed out the Liberal Democrats were in charge of the Guildhall in 2010 when the statue was taken off display.
He said: “They had four years to put it on show if they wanted to. Of course, they did nothing. We’d rather be able to invest millions in our culture and heritage than have a statue in a vault that nobody can enjoy.”