Buddha row

Oct 3 2007

A sculpture portraying Buddha with comical genitalia has been removed from public view after detectives from a police hate crime unit told art gallery staff it was causing offence.

Norfolk Police asked for the sculpture to be turned around after receiving complaints from people who saw the bronze statue - which shows genitals in the shape of a banana and eggs - on display in the window of the Saint Giles Street Gallery in Norwich.

But gallery owner David Koppel said police were being "utterly ridiculous" about the work by artist Colin Self, which is called A Trilogy: The Iconoclasts and thought to be worth around £150,000.