A SHOP owner whose 4ft statue of a willy was seized has now paid the £80 fine to release it from police custody.

Jason Hadlow, whose “Free Willy” crusade gained international support and spawned a Facebook campaign, is now awaiting the return of the £200 carved sandstone appendage.

Police swooped on the Simply Dutch furniture store in Leeming Bar, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, earlier this month after a complaint from a member of the public that the statue was indecent.

Officers confiscated the statue, which was on prominent display, and Mr Hadlow was told he must pay an £80 fine for “displaying an item liable to cause harassment, alarm or distress” or face court action.

The entrepreneur, who lives in Yarm, near Stockton, said the police were being overzealous and initially vowed not to pay.

But last night, Mr Hadlow admitted he has now paid the fine and is awaiting the release of the statue “It said on my slip that I could pay the fine and not accept guilt,” he added. “I had to do it, they were going to take me to court. All they would have to prove was that the willy could have caused alarm or distress to someone – that would be difficult for me to disprove.

“I would have been left with thousands of pounds of legal costs and I just couldn’t justify it.

“I’ve had support from all over the world with this. It’s silly that the police have confiscated it and I still haven’t had it back, even though I’ve paid the fine.

“I have sold a few of them now, so I hope the police won’t be giving out penalty notices to people choosing to display these things in their garden.

We have another ten ordered, which are due to arrive at any time.

“This has clearly hit a chord with the public, we have had pictures coming in from all over the world with people holding up free willy posters to show their support.”

North Yorkshire Police were last night unable to comment as the officer in charge of the case is off duty until Friday.

Until that time the 4ft stone phallus remains under lock and key.