Ipswich Town: Kevin Beattie statue gets approval

A statue celebrating Ipswich Town and England footballer Kevin Beattie has been approved by the local council.

The central defender, voted Ipswich's greatest-ever player, died from a heart attack a year ago, aged 64.

Beattie was famed for his headers and sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn has captured him in his trademark mid-air pose.

Ipswich Borough Council voted in favour of erected the bronze tribute outside Portman Road, near existing statues of Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey.

Earlier this year a fundraising appeal for the statue reached its £110,000 target, eight months after its launch, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A sneak preview of the statue was revealed by sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn in September through a miniature prototype.

Finer details of the design are clearly visible on the prototype, known as a maquette, including the Ipswich Town badge, the ripples and folds in his team kit, Beattie's moustache and his clenched fists.

Mr Hedges-Quinn has previously said he wanted to "capture the very essence of The Beat" and having a standard football pose was "never going to be an option".

A campaign, called The Beat Goes On, was launched at the end of 2018 by BBC Radio Suffolk, where Beattie was a regular on-air contributor, in conjunction with local newspapers and the TWTD website.

The aim is for the sculpture to be unveiled in the spring.