The Sleepwalking Mayor: Town Accidentally Builds £2M Pigeon Statue

Running a town requires sharp focus and careful financial planning, but the mayor of a small town near Valencia has proven that municipal government can sometimes happen entirely unconsciously. Mayor Carlos Ruiz is currently facing intense public scrutiny after admitting he accidentally approved the construction of a £2 million bronze pigeon statue while heavily sleepwalking.

The bizarre mix-up began several months ago during an extremely busy period for the local council. A local eccentric artist had submitted a joke proposal for a massive, 15-metre tall statue of a pigeon to be erected in the historic town plaza. Naturally, the council immediately rejected the foolish idea. However, the paperwork was left on the mayor's home office desk.

According to his wife, Mayor Ruiz has suffered from severe sleepwalking since childhood. One night, he apparently wandered into his office, found his official mayoral stamp, and successfully stamped the pigeon proposal, officially authorising the multi-million-pound expenditure before wandering back to bed, completely unconcerned.

"It is a complete disaster," admitted Mayor Ruiz during a highly embarrassing press conference. "I woke up the next morning and had absolutely no memory of signing the documents. By the time the finance department processed the paperwork, the artist had already ordered twenty tonnes of bronze. I am deeply sorry, but on the bright side, the pigeons in the plaza seem to really respect it."

When the massive metal bird was finally unveiled last week, the local residents were understandably furious about the waste of taxpayer money. However, in a strange twist of fate, the giant pigeon has accidentally become a massive tourist attraction. Visitors from all over Spain are now flocking to the town to take selfies with the ridiculous monument.

Local businesses, initially angry about the blunder, are now reporting record profits as cafes and souvenir shops sell out of pigeon-themed merchandise. While Mayor Ruiz has promised to lock his office door at night to prevent future sleepwalking legislation, the town council has quietly decided to keep the statue, proving that sometimes, the best civic planning happens when you are completely asleep.