Stars back Mandela statue

Dozens of celebrities and politicians are backing a campaign to erect a statue of Nelson Mandela in Trafalgar Square.

More than 120 letters of support have been received from famous names including Sir Trevor McDonald, Sir Terence Conran, novelist Nick Hornby and actor Sir Antony Sher.

The project has also won the support of veteran politicians such as Denis Healey, David Owen, Geoffrey Howe, Tony Benn and Clare Short.

Plans to erect the statue of Mandela go before Westminster councillors on Thursday after a year-long battle to honour the anti-apartheid leader. A bitter debate has raged over where to place the 9ft bronze, with Mayor Ken Livingstone determined to have it on the pedestrianised north terrace.

But this has been opposed by art advisers to Westminster council and English Heritage.

They say the statue is of insufficient artistic merit, would detract from important views of the National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields church, and interfere with the flow of pedestrians. Now councillors are set to impose a ban on any statue being placed on the north terrace - while asking for the Mandela piece to be repositioned outside South Africa House, on the eastern edge of the square.

This was the venue for vigils during Mandela's years of incarceration and from where he addressed crowds celebrating his release from prison.

But his supporters say relegating the statue to the edge of the square diminishes his status as a world statesman.

Sir Trevor McDonald said: "The erection of a statue in Trafalgar Square would be a fitting contribution to one of the great men of our time."

Lord Howe, a former foreign secretary, said: "His nautical namesake nearby would surely regard Mandela as one of the few people who could conceivably rank alongside him."

Mr Livingstone is expected to attend the committee to make a personal plea for the ?400,000 statue, created by sculptor Ian Walters, to be erected opposite the church.

One voice of opposition was architect Piers Gough, who called its backers "visually illiterate" and said the sculpture was "unworthy of such a prominent location".