Motorhead frontman Lemmy could be honoured with Burslem statue

Lemmy was born in Burslem, before moving to nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme

A statue of Motorhead frontman Lemmy is being proposed in his Stoke-on-Trent birthplace.

With "one of the most recognisable voices in rock," he founded the band, was its lead singer and bassist, and penned the acclaimed Ace of Spades.

Born Ian Kilmister, in Burslem - where the statue could be placed - his family later moved to Newcastle-under-Lyme.

But it was in Wales that he spent the majority of his childhood, before founding Motorhead in 1975.

If it's approved by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the statue will be erected within Burslem's Market Place.

Lemmy was famously ejected from the band Hawkwind in 1975, before going on to launch Motorhead

It is set to be sculpted in Staffordshire clay by internationally renowned local sculptor Andy Edwards.

The statue - depicting Lemmy at the height of his fame - would be installed on an 8ft (2.5m) plinth, designed to resemble an overhanging stage.

Lemmy had begun his career in the late 1960s, but it took off after he joined veteran space rockers Hawkwind in the early 1970s.

But an arrest over alleged drug possession saw him famously ejected from the outfit in 1975 - leaving him free to launch Motorhead.

'Pilgrimage destination'

The band quickly took off, reaching its commercial peak at the start of the 1980s, with their live album No Sleep til' Hammersmith topping the UK charts in 1981.

In 1990, Lemmy moved to Los Angeles, where he lived until his death in 2015.

In 2011, he found a whole new set of fans when he starred in the video for White Limo, a track on the Foo Fighters' album Wasting Light.

Organisers of the statue plan now hope Burslem could become a pilgrimage destination for the band's fans as well as less committed members of the public to learn more about his life and work.

The statue would sit on a plinth made from a rigid stainless steel frame clad in black granite and will include the Motorhead logo as well as personal and career details about Lemmy.