Leicester City: Statue plan to honour chairman

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha bought Leicester City in 2010

A monument of two elephants should be erected to honour the late Leicester City chairman, an MP has suggested.

Leicester East MP Keith Vaz has put forward the idea on what would have been Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's 61st birthday.

Mr Vichai and four others died in a helicopter crash outside the King Power Stadium on 27 October.

Mr Vaz hopes the monument of elephants - a symbol of good luck in Thailand - will be up next year.

• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands

The Labour MP also said officials should rename the Belgrave Circle roundabout, the proposed location for the monument, in honour of the late Thai businessman.

Mr Vaz said: "There will be a statue at King Power Stadium for him but residents said it would be nice to have something named after him in the city.

"We have to honour him. He is a legend."

Mr Vaz said the statue of two elephants, with entwined trunks, would not be paid for by the taxpayer, and instead suggested fundraising activities.

Fans stood during the 61st minute of Leicester's game against Bournemouth on Saturday

An inquest into the deaths of Mr Vichai, Nusara Suknamai, Kaveporn Punpare, and pilots and partners Eric Swaffer and Izabela Roza Lechowicz have been opened and adjourned.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is investigating and said in December that cockpit pedals had disconnected from the helicopter's tail rotor.

At Leicester City's home game against Bournemouth on Saturday, supporters were given free beer and cupcakes and fans rose to their feet in the 61st minute to toast Mr Vichai's life.

Players, including Kasper Schmeichel and Andy King, have been tweeting about the chairman's birthday.