Plans to erect a giant statue of late Motorhead frontman Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister in the Staffordshire town where he was born have been approved.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council have given the green light for the 2.2metre statue to be erected in Burslem's Market Place.
Motorhead founder Lemmy was born in Burslem in 1945. He died in 2015 at the age of 70 after a remarkable career fronting one of the world's most iconic rock bands.
Once funding has been secured, the statue will be made from Staffordshire clay by local sculptor Andy Edwards. Edwards also designed a statue of The Beatles at Liverpool's Pier Head.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council approved the plans despite police concerns that it would attract “good-natured but potentially incident generating attention." Those concerns were alleviated by the artist agreeing to increase the height of the plinth from 2.5m to 3m.
A fundraising campaign has been launched to raise the £50,000 the project will cost.
The GoFundMe description reads: "Mark Curran, commercial developer and owner of the Hard Days Night and Zimmerman's bars in Stoke-on-Trent, began a search for a sculptor worthy of immortalising his hero Lemmy during the lockdown of 2020.
"He found internationally renowned artist Andy Edwards, sculptor of the world famous Liverpool Waterfront Beatles statue fame on his doorstep also in Stoke-on-Trent.
"With their combined focus in one direction, a prime site has been agreed in the centre of Lemmy's home town Burslem directly in front of the iconic and historic Town Hall and its famed Gold Angel and enthusiastic cross party support from Stoke-on-Trent city Council given to the planning application."
A statue of Lemmy was erected at the Rainbow Bar & Grill in Los Angeles the year after his death.
