Rochdale Council has ordered a patriotic football fan to remove six rampant lions which have been built on eight foot pillars outside two former council houses.

The retrospective planning application was made by Shazad Hussain, the owner of one of the houses, 46 and 48 Ashbrook Hey Lane.

The application, which came before the Pennine Township committee, was also seeking retrospective permission for the building of a wall around the two properties.

However, it was the two foot high lions, which were installed last October, which attracted most comments from councillors.

Councillor Peter Clegg said: "I could just about live with the wall, but it was the lions which did for me.

'I read the planning report, I looked at the photographs, and I went up there, and I agreed very much with the council officer's views, which was the lions on the top of 2.5 metre pillars were 'incongruous' with the area. "

Coun Irene Davidson said: "There's a lot of work gone into the wall and while cabuncle is the wrong word, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

"However, I wouldn't like to think that the applicant would have to go through the rigmarole of pulling the wall down.

'We have a choice in that we can send it back to council officers to negotiate.

'If the applicant agreed to take the lions down it would be more acceptable."

The committee decided to adjourn a decision pending council officers negotiating with Mr Hussian for the removal of the lions and the lowering of the new wall.

The application will return to the committee for a final decision on April 15.