The Egyptian authorities have ordered an investigation into the painting of a statue in the city of Ismailiya that has drawn widespread ridicule.

The two-metre high statue of Ismail Pasha was recently painted black in what's been seen as a botched attempt at restoration.

An Egyptian commentator reacted on a television show by saying that Egypt deserved a Nobel Prize for ugliness.

There have been a number of public statues in Egypt in recent years that have prompted mockery and disgust, including a particularly distorted version of the legendary beauty, Queen Nefertiti.