Winning design for Nelson Mandela statue in Glasgow revealed

Alan B Herriot's winning entry was selected from a shortlist of five

The winning design for a planned statue of Nelson Mandela in Glasgow has been announced.

Sculptor Alan B Herriot has been selected to create the statue which will stand in the city's Nelson Mandela Place.

Glasgow was the first city in the world to award its freedom to Mandela in 1981, at a time when he was still in prison in South Africa.

The leader of the country's anti-apartheid struggle later visited Glasgow in 1993 - three years after he was released from jail.

The Nelson Mandela Scottish Memorial Foundation (NMSMF) has set a target date for the unveiling of the completed statue of 9 October next year.

Herriot was chosen following a competition which led to five artists being shortlisted to produce a maquette, or model, for the statue.

He said he felt "honoured and privileged to have have been entrusted with the commission".

The sculptor said he was in no doubt that the statue would bring "immense pride" to the city of Glasgow.

Brian Filling, NMSMF chair and honorary consul for South Africa in Scotland, said Heriot's design "captures the essence of Mandela's struggle, his strength and resilience".

Nelson Mandela was awarded the freedom of Glasgow and 1981 and visited the city in 1993

Mandela had been convicted in 1962 of charges including conspiring to commit acts of sabotage and guerrilla warfare and spent nearly 30 years in prison.

He was awarded the freedom of Glasgow in 1981, when the name of St George's Place in the city centre - where the South African consulate-general was based - was also changed to Nelson Mandela Place.

Mandela was released from jail in 1990 and later became the country's president.

He visited Glasgow in 1993 to formally receive the honour of the freedom of the city, and spoke to a crowd of about 10,000 people in George Square.

Glasgow's current Lord Provost, Jacqueline McLaren, said: "This statue will permanently honour Nelson Mandela's legacy and keep alive, for younger generations, the lessons of the anti-apartheid struggle.

"I look forward to seeing its installation next year and marking Glasgow's solidarity with this courageous revolutionary."