Council to put fake statue on display

A council that was duped into paying £440,000 for a fake ancient Egyptian statue that was made in a garden shed plans to display the piece as part of an exhibition about forgeries.

Bolton Council fell prey to Shaun Greenhalgh, who was jailed for four years and eight months in 2007 after he admitted selling faked and forged works of art as genuine.

The local authority bought his handiwork, the 20in Amarna Princess statue, after the Egyptology department at Christie's and the British Museum said it was authentic. It will go on display alongside other fakes made by Greenhalgh.