Tory grandee Lord Heseltine has spent £9,000 on a fibreglass model cow painted by Hove artist Terri Bell-Halliwell.

Mrs Bell-Halliwell decorated the cow in bright colours with a hat and a basket of fruit for the annual international Cow Parade.

About 155 painted cows were stationed around London in June and 60 were auctioned at Sotheby's last Thursday in aid of Childline.

Mrs Bell-Halliwell, of Chanctonbury Road, was over the moon to find her cow was one of the most highly-prized - only £2,000 short of the most expensive, which sold for £11,000.

But she was less happy to hear of her famous buyer's identity.

When asked her opinion of the former Conservative Party chairman, she said: "I would prefer not to comment on Mr Heseltine. I'm just happy my cow raised so much for Childline.

"There was a telephone bidder from America interested but Lord Heseltine came up with more. He was hidden in the crowd - we didn't find out he was the buyer until afterwards."

Mrs Bell-Halliwell, 49, named her cow Madame LaVache Goes To Market and it appeared outside the Royal Exchange in London.

Her husband David, has also decorated a cow, which will be auctioned next month in aid of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute.

Martin Hall, 49, of Molesworth Street, Hove, also provided a bovine brace.

His creation called Elementary My Dear, was a cow dressed as Sherlock Holmes and was placed in Cavendish Square Gardens.

It was bought last week for £5,800 by Alistair Dixon, managing director of Deutscher Bank in the City of London.

Mr Hall had wanted his other cow, Off To Market, to appear in the City as it was decorated as a City gent, complete with bowler hat and pinstripe suit.

However, the City of London authorities said they did not want any cows on their land, so Mr Hall's artwork went to Canary Wharf instead.