When the owners of a Spanish restaurant decided to celebrate the legendary Running of the Bulls, they had no idea their own Taurean mascot might be making his own quick getaway.

For three months Toro the bull has enjoyed pride of place above newly-opened Pintxo People in Western Road, Brighton.

But two weeks ago, in the midst of festival plans, coowner Emily Wheldon was dismayed to get a letter from Brighton and Hove City Council giving the life-size wooden bull its marching orders.

Toro, who originally had to be down by Friday, has now been given a temporary stay of execution until July 7.

Emily, 31, and her three business partners now intend to apply for planning permission in the hope the bull can be resurrected for special occasions.

She said: "When you are in Spain you see these bulls just sitting peacefully on the top of mountains and we thought it would be similar to that.

"It's very unobtrusive and we didn't think it would be a problem. It's so Spanish. Many people have commented on it.

"We are disappointed he has to go but we are grateful we have been given a short reprieve by the council.

"If we were granted permission to put him up occasionally that would be great."

Toro is currently sporting his country's World Cup colours and the restaurant will be showing the final in a fortnight.

Emily had hoped to paint a rainbow on him and give him multiple body piercings to celebrate the city's Pride festival on August 5.

She said: "We are a new business here and we wanted to be involved in all the activities.

"We wanted to get totally absorbed in the community and the bull was a really great way to do that."

The Running of the Bulls, or the Encierro, is held each year in Pamplona as part of the San Fermin festival.

Last week The Argus reported how Sarah Mulheron, owner of Sejuice smoothie bar in Gardner Street, Brighton, won an appeal to keep her sign - a curvy Fifties redhead in a bathing suit.

A city council spokeswoman said: "You only have to look around Brighton and Hove to see the council is not opposed to shops having unusual signs.

"There can't be many cinemas in the country that have a giant pair of legs on the top. However, Brighton and Hove is lucky enough to have many listed buildings and conservation areas and all we ask is that traders treat the buildings they occupy with respect.

"We look at shop front signs on a case-by-case basis and judge each one on its individual merits."

Monday, June 6, 2006