Four years after trying to get Mr Johnson on board for the angel's trip to London, British Ironwork Centre chair Clive Knowles met with the MP on Thursday, who backed the campaign and vowed to get involved.

It has been the ambition of the centre and Mr Knowles to have the angel, which is a monument against knife crime, to put it on the fourth plinth of Trafalgar Square but current London Mayor Sadiq Khan has knocked back repeated pleas.

Now his predecessor has come up with two ideas of where to place it in London.

In this week's meeting, it was suggested it could be put in the Olympic Park or in Basildon.

Mr Knowles is delighted to get the backing of such a prominent politician.

Positive

He said: "We have wanted to get Boris on board for quite a while so it was nice to meet him.

"He had some good ideas and has backed us with this, and has come up with two locations for where it could go.

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"He has offered to write to Sadiq Kahn to address any fears he has about the angel going to London.

"So we will wait and see now, but it is positive news and London was the destination we want the angel to go."

The monument, designed and created by Alfie Bradley, has spent time in Liverpool and is now in Hull on the second leg of a so called UK tour.

Leicester, Bristol, Gloucester, Dorset and Devon have all come forward this week as potential destinations, with Coventry being its next stop.

Mr Knowles added: "We have had so many places come forward recently.

"It was never the intention for it to tour like this, but there are a lot interested so it will be touring the country."