A Wingham man’s design for a huge statue of the Invicta horse emblem of Kent is being backed by the county council.

Both KCC and designer Ian Morrison want the giant rampant horse to be in Dover, but discussions are now continuing over its exact location.

Mr Morrison would like to see the horse up on the cliffs or on the hill just outside Dover on the A20 heading towards Folkestone.

But the county council has said it would like to see it placed in Wellington Dock as part of a multi million pound redevelopment of the site.

Mr Morrison said: “I have had a letter from KCC backing the idea of the horse and although it wants to see it in Dover it is suggesting Wellington Dock, but I do not think that is a good place.

“It is too small to take a 100ft statue and if we make it any smaller it will defeat the original idea. I think it will look fantastic on the hill which would be an ideal spot.”

Mr Morrison said engineers were checking the calculations for the statue and it was vital that a location should be agreed soon.

“I would be interested in hearing what people in Kent think and where in Dover they think it should go,” he added.

“In Wellington Dock it will lose its dramatic appeal. This is the recognisable symbol of Kent and I should like to see it go up before the Olympics. The hill just outside Dover would be perfect.”

Mr Morrison said the statue could be paid for by asking people to sponsor it in return for having their names inscribed on it.

He is also thinking of making a 10in high statue of Invicta from bronze, dipped in silver plate in a limited run of 10 and is looking for sponsorship for this. Mr Morrison may be contacted on 07944 134739.

The rampant statue comes after Kent County Council publicly criticised a design by Mark Wallinger (above), featuring a standing horse.

It won the competition to design the Ebbsfleet landmark, to be erected in north Kent. But KCC said it should be standing on its hind legs, like the Invicta horse.