Plans to install war hero statue in park

Charity Daft as a Brush has submitted plans to install the Ray Lonsdale statue in South Shields

Plans have been submitted to install a statue celebrating a World War Two hero in a park.

Cancer charity Daft as a Brush has applied to South Tyneside Council to give Ray Lonsdale's statue of prisoner of war Len Gibson a permanent home in South Shields.

The statue depicts Mr Gibson, who was from Sunderland and imprisoned on the Burma Death Railway by the Japanese, handing a homemade banjo to a Burmese boy.

The statue was unveiled at South Shields Town Hall in August but there are hopes it can be permanently installed in North Marine Park later this year.

As a prisoner of war, Mr Gibson was forced to work on the Mergui Road where he built his own musical instrument and entertained fellow prisoners around a fire each night.

When he returned to Sunderland, he inspired thousands of young people including his neighbour Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'The Forgotten Army'

As a long-time supporter of Daft as a Brush Mr Gibson adopted one of the charity's ambulances, with the children at his former school where he was a music teacher creating an artwork for the vehicle and naming it Len Guitar Gibson.

Mr Gibson died in July 2021 aged 101 and his statue was unveiled on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

Now, Daft as a Brush has submitted a formal application to South Tyneside Council seeking permission to install the 2.7m (8.8ft) artwork in North Marine Park.

The planning documents noted the statue depicts him handing over the banjo "as a symbol of peace and forgiveness, as he was released from Far East captivity to come home".

"It is also intended to serve as a lasting tribute to Len Gibson, a local war hero, and for all 'The Forgotten Army' who fought in Burma."

A decision on the application will be made following a consultation exercise.