Nude statue for Folkestone harbour unveiled at festival

Georgina Baker said she was delighted to have been chosen as the model for the statue

A bronze statue of a mother striking the same pose as Copenhagen's landmark the Little Mermaid has been unveiled at the start of a town's arts festival.

Georgina Baker, 38, was chosen from a shortlist of 50 people to model for the nude statue which has been installed at Folkestone harbour in Kent.

The second Folkestone Triennial is seen as a cornerstone of the area's regeneration.

Organisers hope it will attract up to 100,000 visitors.

'Strong woman'

The £25,000 statue was created by Turner Prize-nominee Cornelia Parker.

All women in Folkestone were invited to send a picture of themselves to model for the statue.

Ms Parker was said to have wanted a "strong 21st-century woman" rather than a "stick-thin model".

Mrs Baker, a mother-of-two from Sandgate, said she was delighted to have been chosen.

Copenhagen's Little Mermaid was created in 1913 to celebrate the fictional heroine of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale.

The Folkestone statue, which has been funded by a number of public and private bodies including the Arts Council, is one of 19 commissions for the three-month festival,

Artists have been invited to develop new works for Folkestone's streets, squares, beaches and historic buildings.