Art pigs raise £200,000

Organisers of a public arts project which was the talking point of the city this summer have spoken of their delight after raising a staggering £217,000 for charity.

The King Bladud's Pigs in Bath project came to an end earlier this month as the 105 life size models, which could be seen all over the city, were removed from the streets.

And on Friday people were given the chance to take home their favourite pig as 70 of the life-size models were put up for auction.

Despite earlier concerns over ticket sales, about 250 people packed the Assembly Rooms event.

The aim of the auction was to raise thousands of pounds for the Two Tunnels project, which will create a new cycleway and footpath through old rail tunnels to the south of the city.

Before the auction, project founder Gitte Dawson expressed concern over how many people would bid for the unique sculptures, which commemorate the city’s mythical founding father.

But organisers were delighted with the outcome and the auction raised £217,000.

All 70 of the pigs were sold with each going for an average of £3,100 - well over twice the £1,250 reserve price.

The highest bid received for a single pig was £21,000 for acclaimed artist Sir Peter Blake’s Tatooed pig, which was sponsored by villagers in Wellow, where he once lived.

Two other pigs - Carmina and Pig in Clover - each fetched £6,800.

More than £200,000 was raised when 70 life-sized pig sculptures were sold at an auction in Bath.

The life-sized models were designed to boost awareness of a 3,000-year-old legend, which tells of how King Bladud founded the city.

The cash raised is to be used to support the Two Tunnels project - a cycle track linking the centre of Bath with the south of the city.

This plans to run through two disused railway tunnels under Combe Down.