Have the top stories straight to your inbox for free - once a day, every day Yes please! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A cleric who became an expert on the Elephant Man has launched an appeal to raise £110,000 to pay for a statue of Joseph Merrick to be built in his home-city of Leicester.

Leicester Cathedral verger Joanne Vigor-Mungovin launched the online appeal today – on what would have been Merrick’s 157th birthday.

Ms Vigor-Mungovin said: “The only memorial to Joseph is a small plaque at Moat College in Leicester which is not accessible to the general public and a conference room. Moat College stands on the site of the former workhouse, where Joseph lived from 1879 - 1884.

“There should be a statue of Joseph Carey Merrick in his home town of Leicester to ensure that future generations will never forget his courage and inspiration.

“The statue of Joseph will call attention to inclusion, equality, independence, choice, empowerment, respect and dignity to people with a range of disabilities and challenge the prejudice, discrimination and social isolation that many disabled people face throughout their lives at home and at work.”

She said there was precious little recognition of Merrick in Leicester.

“There is also a blue information board near Lee Street NCP multi-storey car park which informs the visitor that Joseph Merrick was born there, “ said Ms Vigor-Mungovin.

The Leicester statue tour - 15 of the city's best sculptures mapped out

“The information board tells you more about Sid James opening the Tesco superstore then our own local resident.”

She said that sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn, who designed the statue to Alice Hawkins that stands in the city’s new market square, has agreed to produce the statue of Merrick.

Ms Vigor-Mungovin thinks the statue should be sited outside the Highcross, close to the Clock Tower.

She said: “This is where we know that Joseph Merrick sold ribbons, stockings and gloves before deciding to go to London to be in a freak show. It would be fitting to place him right there in the heart of Leicester.”

Last year Ms Vigor-Mungovin published a book called Joseph – The Life, Times and Places of the Elephant Man.

She appeared on Channel 5’s Portillo’s Hidden History of Britain last year.

Ms Vigor-Mungovin worked with the City of London Corporation, to produce a plaque, which is now in place at a recently-discovered grave in Newham for Merrick.

A city council spokesperson said: "Joseph Merrick's story is a significant part of Leicester's history, and his story addresses important issues about society's changing attitudes towards disability. "The city council is not responsible for erecting statues, but if other groups or organisations want to raise the money, we are happy to help facilitate the process."

To donate to the appeal go to: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/josephmerrick?utm_term=Mz7MqnQGk

Read more