New Order and Joy Division star Peter Hook has revealed plans to build a statue to music impresario Tony Wilson.

Music star Hook is in discussions with Salford Council over plans for the “larger than life” statue of Factory Records founder Tony, who was known affectionately as Mr Manchester.

They aim for the sculpture, which could be as big as 12 feet high, to straddle the Salford and Manchester borders, in recognition of Wilson's influence in both cities.

And Hook is aiming to fund the statue by enlisting the help of fans and supporters of Wilson and the bands he helped to launch on a global stage like New Order and the Happy Mondays, to donate to the project.

The news comes after renewed calls for a fitting tribute to Hacienda founder and cultural entrepreneur Wilson, who died aged 57 in August 2007 after his battle with cancer.

Bass player Hook said: “The main problem with getting a statue up is that everybody expects the council to pay for them, but then they don't want a statue at the expense of their bins being emptied.

“So my idea is to get fans, supporters, of all the bands that Tony helped, to pay for this statue – so it will be the fans who own it too.

“The idea is for it to straddle the border – one foot in Salford and one foot in Manchester – just as Tony did in life.”

Hook has been in discussion with Salford assistant mayor Steve Coen, and the two are planning to visit potential sites, including the Spinningfields area of Manchester close to the Salford border, next week.

Both agree that the statue must be “larger than life”.

Hook said: “From the very first time I met Tony Wilson, at Rafters club when Joy Division were just starting out, I've thought of him as larger than life.

“It won't be the Colossus of Rhodes, it will just be a statue, but something that suits Tony's larger than life persona.

“I want him to be recognised, I want people to go and look at it and say, ****ing hell, it's Tony Wilson.”

Salford-born sculptor John Humphreys, famed for work on film and TV projects as well as his fine art creations, is in the frame to create the statue.

Manchester Council revealed its plans for a tribute to Wilson in September – with the idea of a street or public square at the new First Street cultural hub in the city to be named after him once complete.

Hook's comments came as he guest edited the M.E.N.'s Diary Page, you can read his column in full in tomorrow's M.E.N.

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