The original bronze version of the Captain Tom statue and a resin copy have gone on eBay (Picture: Alamy)
Two life-sized Captain Tom Moore statues have been put up for auction on eBay and one has a starting price of just 99p.
The three Walk of Hope statues were made as a tribute to the late veteran, who raised £38.9million for the NHS during Covid by walking 100 laps of his garden for his 100th birthday.
Owner Tony Clark has listed the original bronze sculpture and a resin copy on the auction site after another copy sold online for £3,300.
The bronze statue has an asking price of £24,000, while the resin likeness has gone to auction with a starting price of 99p.
Tony designed the statue with his friend Keith Sharratt and commissioned artists in Indonesia to make the three versions.
The eBay listing for the bronze statue reads: ‘I have been messaged several times regarding what’s happening to this bronze statue of Captain Tom as many still have lots of faith and love for Captain Tom, so we decided to re-list this piece and give the opportunity to a private buyer the chance to buy it privately or crowdfund and donate somewhere so it can be displayed for the public to view.”
Captain Tom became a national hero for his fundraising efforts (Picture: PA)
It continues: ‘This piece has been in storage since 2021 and is made to scale weighing approximately 170kg and is 5ft 3 inches tall, we made two resin copies and one bronze so only three in the world.
‘The Captain Tom Foundation Charity has now closed down and the family have nothing to do with me or this sale, we have not consulted the family regarding this sale.’
Tony had wanted the bronze sculpture to go on display in the national figurehead’s home county of Yorkshire.
However, efforts to find a public space failed, leaving him to try and recoup at least some of the tens of thousands of pounds he had spent creating and storing the tributes.
The statues have cost Tony Clark thousands of pounds to create, transport and store (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)
Tony previously told Metro.co.uk: ‘In my heart of hearts I am still proud of what Captain Tom did and of the statue we made.
‘It’s just sad seeing it sitting there gathering dust.’
The first resin statue had initially been listed for £29,000, then the price was cut to £25,000 and then to £7,000, before being listed with a starting price of 99p.
It eventually sold for £3,300, with 50% of the auction going to The Veterans Charity, Clark said on a Facebook group dedicated to the statues.
‘The first full-size Captain Tom statue has found its new home at Wildin & Co Accountants in the King’s Buildings which is located in Lydney, Gloucestershire,’ he said.
‘He has been positioned at the front of the office building if anyone lives close or is passing through and wants to visit.’
After Captain Tom died in February 2021, his family continued his fundraising work through the foundation.
Tony with one of the resin statues (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)
The charity is currently being investigated by the Charity Commission for possible conflicts of interest, mismanagement and whether the trustees fulfilled their legal duties and responsibilities.
Captain Tom’s daughter has also been 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 and had to demolish it last month.
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