THE mystery of a missing greyhound sculpture should be solved and the statues returned to public view, councillors have said.

Called Racing Ahead, the cast iron statues were controversial when commissioned by Stockton Borough Council in 1995 with one leading councillor at the time arguing they symbolised a cloth caps and whippets stereotype of the North-East, adding the plan was "barking mad."

However, the £30,000 statues, which in 2004 were moved from Dovecot Street to Marks and Spencer nearby at a cost of about £10,000, became popular with the public until they disappeared for the refurbishment of Stockton High Street about two years ago.

The mystery of what happened to them led to repeated emails and phone calls from Cllr Julia Cherrett which she claimed were not satisfactorily answered. At a meeting of the Full Council she tabled an official question about the public art.

Cllr Cherrett asked: "In the words of a Stockton council Information leaflet at the time the life sized greyhounds are 'surging ahead with energy' and 'symbolise the town’s dynamism and renaissance looking to a better future.'

"Surging ahead with energy and looking to a better future must surely be key issues for the regeneration of Stockton High Street so can the Cabinet Member for Arts, Leisure and Culture confirm just where the greyhounds are currently being kennelled and when and where we might hope to see them being re-homed within Stockton High Street?”

Stockton council's Cabinet member for Arts, Leisure and Culture, Norma Wilburn, responded by saying that greyhounds couldn't be returned the High Street as they, "no longer fit" and unexpected street furniture could be dangerous for blind and disabled people. However, she said that they, "represented a beautiful piece of artwork" and the council was looking for ideas about what to do with them. However, she did not confirm where the cast iron dogs were.

After the meeting Cllr Lynn Hall, said she had been told one of the dogs had gone missing and the greyhounds were, "in bits in a warehouse somewhere" and it would, "cost thousands once again to put them back together."

She said that "the whole thing has been a waste of money," before arguing Preston Park in Eaglescliffe could be a good place for the dogs.

A spokesman for Stockton council said the greyhounds were being kept in storage at an undisclosed location and they had not, in fact, been broken up.

Stockton used to have a famous dog racing track and there used to be a pub called The Greyhound on the High Street. It is believed greyhounds were even raced on the High Street at one time.

Created by Newcastle artist Irene Brown they were fabricated by Stockton Casting Company. In 2002, one of the dogs was damaged and had to be replaced at a cost of £950.