Ozzy is city's choice for culture icon

He has been accused of Satan-worship, has bitten the heads of bats and doves on stage and has had a legendary affinity with drugs and alcohol.

With that in mind, then, Ozzy Osbourne is perhaps a strange choice for city chiefs in Birmingham who have approached him to spearhead their bid to be named European Capital Of Culture 2008.

Sources close to the foul-mouthed rock icon - or the "Prince of F***ing Darkness" as he likes to call himself - revealed last night that he has been approached to be the face of their culture and arts campaign.

Ozzy, 53, was born in the suburb of Aston in 1948 under the name of John Michael Osbourne. One source said: "The city really wants Ozzy to be the face of the culture campaign. He is probably the most famous Brummie in the world and they want to capitalise on that. Over the years, he hasn't always been the most obvious ambassador but now he has taken on the status of a cult, lovable and even respectable figure."

Ozzy is said to be considering the offer, and talks are taking place.

Much of the time Ozzy spent in Birmingham was working in a slaughterhouse and then a mortuary. His first musical job was working in the city's Lucas electrical plant tuning car horns. He then turned to crime. He spent three months at the city's Winston Green Prison for not paying a fine after breaking and entering and another term for assaulting a police officer.

But a lot has changed for the multimillionaire. He has sold millions of records worldwide and in May, he and wife Sharon said that the family had agreed a deal with MTV, worth a reported £13 million, to do two more seasons of fly-on-the-wall documentary, The Osbournes, the highest-rated show in the channel's history.

Birmingham hopes Ozzy will be just what it needs to clinch the title of European City of Culture 2008. A win could create 10,000 new jobs and £100 million investment.