Winning Southampton Spitfire memorial design revealed

The Spitfire Tribute Foundation hopes to raise £2m to build the monument

The winning design for a new £2m Spitfire memorial in Southampton, where the plane was first built, has been revealed.

Nick Hancock beat more than 300 entries with his design of a Spitfire on top of a mast that resembles a vapour cloud.

The 131ft (40m) replica - one-and-a-half times the size of the actual plane - will stand at Trafalgar dock overlooking Southampton waterfront.

The Spitfire Tribute Foundation hopes to raise £2m to build the monument.

Designer Mr Hancock has worked on a number of landmark projects during his career.

He said: "To be given the opportunity to create a monument of this nature, one that's going to be here for a very long time... is truly special.

"What I'm really looking forward to is to be able to go up in the aircraft because that was the first prize."

The Spitfire monument is set to be built in 2011, the 75th anniversary of its 1936 maiden flight.

RJ Mitchell's aircraft played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain.