David Bowie Ziggy Stardust statue to be delayed Published duration 19 April 2017

image copyright Getty Images image caption The David Bowie statue will be named 'Earthly Messenger'

The installation of a David Bowie statue set to go up in the town where he first performed as Ziggy Stardust has been delayed.

The statue was due to be erected in the Market Square area of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in September.

It has been put back because of temporary scaffolding at the site for the town's North Waterside development.

Campaigner David Stopps said it was "frustrating" but he was hopeful the statue would be in place by March 2018.

The proposed site, under the arches in Market Square, was referenced by Bowie in Five Years, the opening track of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars album.

Mr Stopps said there was a possibility it may be erected in a temporary location between September and March.

image copyright AP image caption David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust persona was unveiled in Aylesbury

The statue will be called 'Earthly Messenger,' a reference to a quote from an interview by Bowie with Rolling Stone in 1973 when he said: "Ziggy himself was not an alien, just the earthly messenger for the Starman".

Bowie performed as Ziggy during gigs at the town's Friars music venue in the early 1970s.

He also played a gig at the club in September 1971 when he gave his debut performance of Hunky Dory.

Mr Stopps said: "We could have called it the Bowie statue, but we wanted it to be distinctive. It will be the first Bowie statue in the world.

"The developers have had to put the scaffolding up as a health and safety provision.

"The delay is frustrating as we are on schedule to get it finished by September, but we can't do much about it."