A city councillor has confirmed there is not a man trapped inside the “Chicago Bean”.

Brendan Reilly, a Chicago alderman, said the rumour about the city’s sculpture meant his office had been inundated with calls from concerned citizens.

Earlier this month, a small group of protesters gathered at the stainless steel artwork, chanting: “There is a man in the Bean” and “What do we want? The man to get out.”

They handed out leaflets claiming the man’s existence had been kept secret from Chicago residents for more than two decades, and brandished signs calling for officials to “unlock Cloud Gate”, as the art installation is formally known.