Mary Anning: Planning application lodged for Lyme Regis statue

A maquette of the statue by sculptor Denise Sutton

A planning application for a statue of fossil-hunter, Mary Anning and her dog has been submitted.

The Mary Anning Rocks campaign, led by teenager Evie Swire, wants to place the statue on a path in Long Entry, Lyme Regis, Anning's former hometown.

Evie started fundraising for the statue with her mother, Anya Pearson, in 2018 when she was 10 years old.

If given the go-ahead, it is hoped the statue will be unveiled on what would have been Anning's 223nd birthday.

A model of the planned statue model superimposed on a photo of the location in Lyme Regis

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Pearson said: "It's my daughter's indignation and anger that sparked this campaign after being surprised and frustrated there was no tribute to Mary Anning."

The campaign is being backed by Sir David Attenborough and Prof Alice Roberts.

Mary Anning Rocks has raised more than £100,000 for the statue through crowdfunding and funding awards. The full-size statue is being created in bronze by sculptor Denise Dutton.

Evie Swire has been campaigning for a statue of Mary Anning in Lyme Regis

Anning, whose life inspired feature film Ammonite, was never fully credited for her discoveries.

She was born in 1799 to a poor, working-class family, but made numerous ground-breaking discoveries, including a 5.2m (17ft) skeleton, now known to be an ichthyosaur, when she was just 12 years old.

Twelve years later, she found the first complete skeleton of a plesiosaur, a marine reptile so bizarre that scientists initially thought it was a fake.

The planning application remains open for public comment until 24 December. Dorset Council, is yet to set a decision date.