Keith Flint: Braintree council backs Prodigy singer statue bid

A campaign to build a statue of The Prodigy's Keith Flint in the band's hometown has been backed.

Flint, founder member and vocalist on number one singles Breathe and Firestarter, died in March.

A petition for a statue of him in Braintree, Essex, has been signed more than 10,000 times.

At a full council meeting on Monday Braintree District Council voted in favour of further discussions with the band, Flint's family and fans.

The petition to the council states Flint "was important not only to the people of Braintree, but was well loved and respected worldwide".

Saphya Gower, who began the campaign, said the band's "music makes me feel alive, indestructible, invincible. I'll be forever thankful to them".

Flint was born in Redbridge, north-east London, and later moved to Braintree where he formed the band with Liam Howlett and Leeroy Thornhill.

The band supported Oasis at their Knebworth gigs in 1996

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Council leader Graham Butland said the council had spoken with The Prodigy's co-manager who had indicated they or Flint's family would not object to a memorial if it was "tasteful" and was not a "literal representation" of the singer.

Councillor Ian Pritchard told the meeting he had been one of "the lucky 5,000" to have attended the Prodigy's 2005 homecoming gig in Braintree and suggested any memorial be designed so that the other band members could be included in it in the future.

The motion for plans to be looked at by the cabinet was unanimously passed.