The famous Kelpies by the M9 have been drawn into a dispute over statues in an Italian city.

In May of this year, the architect Andrea Villani donated six statues to the city of Terni in Umbria, a move which was warmly welcomed by mayor Stefano Bandecchi.

The sculptures are all themed around love, depicting a couple with a dog, another with a child, an elderly man stroking a cat, a lonely man, a mother sitting on the ground with a little girl, and a man standing with a child in his arms.

Mr Bandecchi wished to place the statues in all of the city's main squares, but the local municipality judged they were not of sufficient artistic merit.

Read More:

After a war of words, a solution was found whereby the statues would be placed in local parks and one, the mother with her child, in Piazza Tacito.

However, when the first was installed on the barren ground in Ciaurro park, with no supporting base, the mayor reacted furiously on Instagram.

Mr Bandecchi wrote: "The first statue which was supposed to embellish Terni has been put on the ground.

"I understand more than ever why the city has gone to s*** and I'll have to fix it myself, with a less educated approach.

"Enough of being f***** by idiots."

That sparked a Kelpie-themed response from councillor Marco Ferranti of Forza Italia, the party founded by Silvio Berlusconi.

On holiday in Scotland, he posted a picture of the famous statues and wrote: "I advise mayor Bandecchi not to take it out on Villani's statues.

"Instead he could bring these beautiful 'kelpies' near Edinburgh, all in stainless steel, to Terni or be inspired to create a similar work in collaboration with AST (Acciai Speciali Terni, Italy's biggest steel company).

"In the meantime, send a certified email from Unicusano to King Charles for any copyright issues."

The KelpiesThe Kelpies (Image: The Cunningly Good Group)

Unicusano is the abbreviated name of Università degli Studi Niccolò Cusano, the online for-profit university founded by Mr Bandecchi which is under investigation for tax evasion.

The mayor represents Alternativa Popolare (Popular Alternative) though for many years was the biggest funder of Forza Italia after the late Berlusconi.

He was elected mayor of Terni last year.

Mr Bandecchi is known for being a combative character, and was filmed spitting on fans of local football club Ternana when he owned the team.

He confirmed: "It's true, they spat at me and I spat at them.

"What, in your opinion am I there to be spat on? I'm a man like any other, I'm not Jesus Christ and if three of them spit on me then not only will I spit back but if the barrier wasn't there I'd also give them two pizzas in the face."

He was also fined by the Italian FA, the FIGC, after suggesting its president, Gabriele Gravina, should "change his drug dealer".

At a city council meeting earlier this year, police officers had to step in to prevent a physical altercation between Mr Bandecchi and Marco Celestino Cecconi, the group leader of the Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) party.

According to Sky Italia, the altercation was sparked when the mayor told a councillor, Orlando Masselli, to stop laughing "or all the teeth will fly out of your mouth". The session was eventually completed.

Deputy mayor Riccardo Corridore called it "a negative example which must not be repeated" but noted "there was constant provocation from the FdI councillors".

Mr Bandecchi said: "I told everyone that I don't have to apologise to anyone. On the contrary, I am waiting for an apology. Nor do I have to regret it. I don't understand what I should regret?

"I would do it again, but with more violence."

Mr Bandecchi is currently under investigation for alleged tax evasion, which he denies.

The case relates to his university, which has been declared a non-commercial entity and therefore eligible for tax exemptions.

Financial police seized €20m worth of assets, including a Rolls Royce Phantom and a Ferrari, as well as the lease contract for an Agusta A109S helicopter and several BMWs.

Mr Bandecchi said after the charges were filed: "I don't trust the judiciary and the financial police, but I'm not worried."

He later accused investigators of having "bulls***" arguments and being either "idiots or acting in bad faith" while denying all allegations against him.