A homeowner in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, has been threatened with a £20,000 fine after refusing to remove a four-foot-high gorilla statue mounted on the front of her house. Adele Teale, 59, was ordered by Wakefield Council to take down the 4kg resin figure, named Caesar, which she installed outside her two-bedroom terraced home in Stanley.
Council Enforcement Action
The council first issued an ultimatum in September last year, a year after Ms Teale erected the statue. After a lengthy appeal process, council chiefs rejected her claim and gave her four weeks to remove the ape or face a maximum £20,000 fine. However, Ms Teale has vowed to keep Caesar, insisting he is 'doing no harm to anyone'.
Homeowner's Defence
Ms Teale said: 'He is my best friend and I don't ever plan to move him. Everybody loves Caesar, he is part of the community. I just don't understand what the issue is. I can't believe all of this fuss over a gorilla.' She described the statue as a garden ornament and argued that planning permission should not be required, noting that it is securely screwed and glued in place.
According to Ms Teale, Caesar previously sat outside her home in Belle Isle, Leeds, for 15 years without issue. She sold the statue when she moved to Stanley six years ago but bought it back for £600 in August 2024 and re-erected it in December 2024. In May 2025, she received a letter from Wakefield Council Planning Services regarding a complaint about an 'animal structure' on her property.
Planning Inspectorate Decision
The council advised Ms Teale to remove Caesar under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, suggesting planning permission was necessary. She attempted to contact the council multiple times but claimed she 'never heard back'. An enforcement notice was issued on July 10, 2025, ordering removal, which she appealed on August 11. The notice stated the statue is 'not a minor decorative feature but is a prominent, eye-catching structure and is out of character with the surrounding area'.
The Planning Inspectorate upheld the enforcement notice, concluding that the statue constitutes a 'development' due to its size, permanence, and physical attachment to the property, and that it materially affects the external appearance of the house. The inspectorate also noted that even if Ms Teale adjusted the statue's position or added screening, it would not be accepted.
Community Support
Ms Teale, who lives with her husband Trevor and son Billy, said even the binmen shout out to Caesar. She works for Leeds City Council's passenger travel and maintains that she never had complaints when living in Leeds. Joe Jenkinson, Wakefield Council's Service Director for Planning, Transportation and Strategic Highways, stated: 'We appreciate that not everyone will agree, but under planning rules this is not classed as a minor decorative feature. It's also out of character with the surrounding area. So, it requires planning permission.'
Ms Teale now has until June 9, 2026, to remove the statue or face the fine. She remains defiant, saying: 'I own the house, it's mine, so surely I can have whatever I want outside to decorate it.'
