Pub bosses have sparked a bitter row in an historic cathedral city after installing an 'horrendous,' 12-foot-high coffee mug next to the Victorian property.
Members of the family-owned The High Flyer pub near the centre of pretty Ely, Cambs, have erected the giant white mug to promote the opening of a cafe on its premises.
The large installation in the city's conservation area has sparked a furious response from locals although the landlords have dismissed it as a 'storm in a teacup.'
Within hours of it being erected council planning officers said they received complaints from members of the public and are now launching their own investigation.
Lifelong resident Helen Fuller, 65, said: "It’s weird. What’s the point of it? It’s a bit of an eyesore,”
Fellow local Jim, 60, agreed: “It’s horrendous and a bit of an eyesore. It would help if they had painted on it. Maybe have someone inside flogging tea and coffee.”
A third, who asked not to be named, said: “It looks like an eyesore. It doesn’t fit with anything else and what on earth is it supposed to be for?
Alban Massingham, marketing manager for The High Flyer, branded the controversy as a “storm in a teacup” and said no offence was intended.
“We didn’t know it would cause any harm. It was never our intention.”
She added that the mug was installed to advertise the pub’s upcoming cafe, which will open on July 22.
Alban said that the pub would work with the council but insisted that, as the mug is on private property, there were no plans to remove it.
She added that the mug was not finished and would soon be decorated by a local artist.
But East Cambridgeshire District Council said on Friday that it was investigating the “large object” after reports from residents.
