A POPULAR piece of public artwork in Burnley has been given a stay of execution amid council confusion over the cost of saving it.

The news came as Burnley businessman Andrew Brown has stepped forward and said he would foot the bill for the relocation of the well-loved mural on the side of the Thompson Centre.

Members of Burnley Borough Council's executive committee had originally voted to destroy the mural after they were told it would cost the taxpayer £100,000 to save it.

They made the decision after the Thompson Centre closed earlier this year.

But an investigation carried out by a council scrutiny committee has revealed that council officers had failed to provide detailed costings for several options to save the sculpture before recommending its demolition.

Councillors were concerned that a feasibility report discussing the possibility of keeping the artwork at the town centre site or displaying it elsewhere was missing.

The group has now referred the fate of the large mural back to the executive committee, which had originally voted for its destruction, so that councillors can reconsider the matter with information from the feasibility report.

Councillors have not yet discussed the offer from Mr Brown, the millionaire owner of Crow Wood Leisure Coun Mark Townsend, chair of the scrutiny committee, said: "The consultation wasn't full and complete.

"It was not thorough enough.

"The executive need to make the right decision for the right reasons, not the right decision for the wrong ones."

The land where the building currently stands is set to become a temporary car park if the centre is knocked down later this year.

A £20,000 scheme had been suggested to preserve the frieze wall as a decorative feature in the car park.

However, officers maintained this figure could rise if the wall needed to be strengthened and a much larger estimate of £100,000 was then given.

It was also pointed out that the car park may be earmarked for further development and having the artwork on the site could decrease the land value by up to 20 per cent -- a drop of £160,000.

Scrutiny member Coun Darren Reynolds said he supported the original decision made by the executive and urged a quick end to the matter.

He said the money could be better spent on public services and added: "A decision has been made and it is what the people of Burnley want."

He added that the costs relating to the mural are spiralling as the decision is delayed and further meetings are being called.

A decision will now be made at the next executive meeting on September 5.