Spitfire monument a step closer after No 10 event

The monument will be twice the height of the Angel of the North

A campaign to build a Spitfire monument in the city where the aircraft was first developed has been recognised at an event at Downing Street.

The National Spitfire Project plans to begin building the monument in Mayflower Park, Southampton, in autumn 2024.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as well as Southampton MP Royston Smith, who thanked Mr Sunak for the government's "invaluable support" of the project.

More than half of the money needed has been secured, with trustees behind the project now looking for contributions towards the remaining amount.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was thanked for the government's "invaluable support"

The monument, which will be over twice the height of the Angel of the North and has already got planning permission, will cost £6m.

The government has committed to £3m in match funding, with Southampton City Council set to contribute another £350,000.

It is hoped the monument will be unveiled to mark the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in September 2025.

Chief executive of Southampton City Council Mike Harris also attended the event at Downing Street.

"We recognise the significance of what having the monument would mean not just for the city of Southampton but for the nation," he said.

"A remarkable monument to remember the sacrifice those young pilots made to secure our freedoms."

Chairman of the board of trustees for the project, John Hannides, said they were going for "the final push" to raise the money they need.

"We have come a long way, but there is still more to do," he said, adding the statue would be "the single most important monument to the Spitfire anywhere in the world".

"Evoking the ‘Spirit of the Spitfire’, it will serve as a reminder to us all of the importance of courage, determination, and ambition," he said.