NORTH TAWTON sculptor Andrew Sinclair is set to create a statue of David Bowie in the town where the singer launched two of the most iconic albums of the 20th century.

Excitement is growing in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, after plans for the statue were given the go-ahead for the town centre where Bowie, who died of cancer earlier this year at the age of 69, performed the world debuts of both Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory.

Campaigners, who need to raise £100,000 through Crowdfunding to build the piece of art work, have unveiled acclaimed artist Andrew as the man to sculpt it.

Andrew, 55, who is co-owner of The Sculpture School in North Tawton, previously ran a studio in Buckinghamshire for almost two decades before relocating to Devon two years ago.

He said: ‘I am thrilled to be entrusted with this commission and am keeping my fingers crossed that the money can be made for this to go ahead. All the local councils have agreed to this and it’s a huge talking point in Aylesbury. We believe it will really help put the town on the map.’

Andrew has a Bowie mask from the film The Man Who Fell To Earth which, quite bizarrely, a student from his school had in the back of his car. The mask is an impression of Bowie’s face so he believes the likeness will be perfect.

Andrew, who curated the Great British Sculpture Show at Hatfield House in 2014, said: ‘I love Bowie’s music and it’s a fantastic privilege to be part of this project. I have some really good ideas for this.’

Music promoter David Stopps, who is leading the campaign, said the sculpture could become the biggest unique selling point for Aylesbury and possibly for the whole of Buckinghamshire.

‘It will be sited under the arches in Aylesbury Market Square where flowers were placed following Bowie’s death in January,’ said Mr Stopps.

He hopes to play a Bowie track every hour on the hour during the day from two speakers near the statue. It will have state-of-the-art lighting and a webcam so people from all over the world can look at it 24/7.

Mr Stopps said of Andrew Sinclair: ‘I think he is a brilliant sculptor and am very impressed with the work he has done.’

Aylesbury Vale District Council, which owns the land, has given permission for the statue to be placed on the exact site where the organisers wanted. Mr Stopps is now in the process of launching a campaign to raise the money and is confident this can be achieved through Crowdfunding and other initiatives.

 He said: ‘We know that it is the only statue of Bowie currently being planned anywhere in the world and it will attract thousands of Bowie fans from all over the world to Aylesbury, boosting the local economy by tens of millions of pounds each year. The Bowie statue will be the centrepiece of rebranding Aylesbury as a music town.’

Mr Stopps has run music club Friars Aylesbury for 47 years and has been instrumental in highlighting Bowie’s strong connections to Aylesbury.

Bowie referred to Aylesbury Market Square in the first line of his classic Ziggy Stardust song Five Years. He performed the Spiders from Mars in the Friars Aylesbury dressing room in September 1971.

Councillor Steve Bowles, deputy leader of Aylesbury Vale District Council, praised the scheme and said it was exciting to have one of Britain’s best sculptors involved.