The Lions of Bath roared goodbye as they were auctioned off for charity at the weekend.

The 104 sculptures have been dotted all over the city centre during the summer, with their innovative designs attracting interest from residents and tourists alike.

They were put under the hammer at two auctions at the weekend, raising money for a variety of charities.

Money is still being counted, but the top-selling sculpture, Euan the Lion, went for £15,000.

The sculpture, which was sponsored and designed by Bath creative agency Ideas of the Mind, was auctioned by Will Travers, chief executive of the Born Free Foundation wildlife charity.

Mr Travers, who is the son of the stars of the Born Free movie Virginia McKenna and the late Bill Travers, said the money would pay for lion-proof livestock pens called bomas, which would actually end up protecting the noble beasts themselves.

Money from the auction of Euan went to Mr Travers's charity – with the proceeds of the other auctions being split between three more local good causes.

Mr Travers said: "These lion-proof bomas are vital. Naturally, if lions kill people's goats, sheep or cattle, herdsmen will go out and kill lions.

"But by preventing lions from killing livestock, we can improve the lives of communities, provide better protection for their livestock and save the lives of Kenya's increasingly threatened wild lion population. Selling Euan the Lion, a beautifully decorated lion work of art, and helping ensure the survival of wild lions was a great thing to do."

Sue Yates-Price, a co-organiser of the Lions of Bath project, said they were not yet sure how much money had been raised at the two auctions.

"Some of the lions failed to meet their reserve price, which was disappointing, but others did better.

"There was a lot of interest from local people, who have been asking how it all went."

Lions in demand included Wordsworth, which had a coat of 6,000 scrabble tiles sponsored by Bath product design agency Wild & Wolf, and the Elvis-themed King of the Rock 'n' Roll Jungle, created by Eric Anderson and sponsored by the Guildhall Market.

The three charities to benefit from the auction are counselling and carer support group Off the Record, the Mayor of Bath's Relief Fund, and the Quartet community foundation.

Meanwhile, a lion fan from Bath has called her new puppy Dandy Lion.

Anne Ellery, from Southdown, was so taken with the Lions of Bath project that she named her three-month- old Labrador puppy in tribute to it.

The 69-year-old, who works part-time in the library at Hayesfield School, enjoyed visiting the lions with her four grandchildren this summer.

She said: "I really liked the lions, and so decided to call my puppy Dandy Lion after them, and also because she is golden and was born and bred in Bath.

"I think the lions were all very inspirational and attracted visitors to the city, as they made it more interesting.

"I am sad to see them leave the streets, but it is great that they will be raising money for charity."