A statue of a mermaid with big breasts will be removed from its location in Copenhagen after complaints that it is “pornographic” and vulgar.

The 13ft-tall Big Mermaid has been described as “a man’s hot dream of what a woman should look like”, with its breasts having been the subject of controversy for years.

It was unveiled in 2006 at a location a few hundred yards from the famous statue of the Little Mermaid, on Langelinie Pier.

After complaints that the bigger mermaid was too sexualised, in 2018 it was transferred to Dragør Fort, part of Copenhagen’s former sea fortifications, several miles south of the city.

Now the Danish agency for palaces and culture is reportedly preparing to remove it altogether, saying it does not fit with the cultural heritage of the fort, which dates back to 1910.

Criticism ‘is pure nonsense’

Peter Bech, a Danish restaurateur who designed and commissioned Big Mermaid, said he could not understand what the fuss was about.

“The mermaid has completely normal proportions in relation to her size. Of course the breasts are big on a big woman,” Mr Bech told TV 2 Kosmopol, a Danish broadcaster.