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A giant inflatable effigy of Sadiq Khan could be sent on a UK-wide tour after raising an excess of funds ahead of its maiden flight in London.

Yanny Bruere, who organised the blimp’s creation, told the Standard that he plans to send the huge balloon across the length and breadth of the country using the money he has raised.

The cost of putting on the stunt this weekend has totalled around £30,000 so far. Mr Bruere hoped to raise £75,000 for the project and has so far amassed close to £60,000.

With the extra money sourced by the crowdfunding page, Mr Bruere said the balloon might go to other cities after London.

Sadiq Khan blimp - In pictures 6 show all Sadiq Khan blimp - In pictures 1/6 The blimp is 29ft long Jamie Wiseman for The Daily Mail 2/6 It will fly in Parliament Square on September 1 Yanny Bruere 3/6 More than £50,000 was crowdfunded to arrange the blimp event Yanny Bruere 4/6 The blimp version of Sadiq Khan is wearing a yellow bikini in reference to the "beach body" adverts that were banned from transport in London Yanny Bruere 5/6 The idea came in response to the "baby Trump" balloon which was allowed to fly during the President's visit Yanny Bruere 6/6 The City Hall ‘city operations’ team has given permission for it to be flown in Parliament Square Garden Yanny Bruere 1/6 The blimp is 29ft long Jamie Wiseman for The Daily Mail 2/6 It will fly in Parliament Square on September 1 Yanny Bruere 3/6 More than £50,000 was crowdfunded to arrange the blimp event Yanny Bruere 4/6 The blimp version of Sadiq Khan is wearing a yellow bikini in reference to the "beach body" adverts that were banned from transport in London Yanny Bruere 5/6 The idea came in response to the "baby Trump" balloon which was allowed to fly during the President's visit Yanny Bruere 6/6 The City Hall ‘city operations’ team has given permission for it to be flown in Parliament Square Garden Yanny Bruere

The 28-year-old said it could go to “a few locations potentially” and that there has been “a lot of support from the North of England”.

People from as far north as Newcastle have said they are attending the event on September 1, as well as some from Devon and Cornwall.

Sadiq Khan responded to the already planned London flight in an ITV broadcast.

He said: “If people want to spend their Saturday looking at me in a yellow bikini they’re welcome to do so – I don’t really think yellow’s my colour though.”

The balloon version of Mr Khan will be wearing a bikini in response to the banning of a series of Protein World adverts from public transport across London in 2016..

These had shown a woman in a yellow bikini with the slogan "are you beach body ready?", and Mr Khan backed them being removed.

Explaining the motivation behind the balloon further, Mr Bruere said: “I set up the crowdfund on the day that Sadiq Khan gave permission to the fly the Trump blimp.

“I was annoyed he allowed the mocking of the sitting United States president. I didn’t think it would happen if it was Barack Obama.

“I thought the best way to test free speech would be to see if Sadiq would put himself up to the mockery.

“I think in the UK there’s this problem where you’re only allowed to speak about certain things.

“There’s a grey area between free speech and hate speech and sometimes that’s confused.”

Donald Trump Baby Balloon at Parliament Square - In pictures 21 show all Donald Trump Baby Balloon at Parliament Square - In pictures 1/21 Demonstrators fly a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump above Parliament Square Reuters 2/21 Demonstrators fly a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump above Parliament Square AFP/Getty Images 3/21 A 6m high cartoon baby blimp of U.S. President Donald Trump hovers next to the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill AP 4/21 Demonstrators fly a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump, behind a tour bus in Parliament Square Reuters 5/21 Onlookers look at a blimp portraying U.S. President Donald Trump in Parliament Square Reuters 6/21 Demonstrators fly a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump in Parliament Square, London Reuters 7/21 US Marine helicopters (circled) pass the 'Baby Trump' balloon after being inflated in Parliament Square, as part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK PA 8/21 A 'Baby Trump' balloon rises after being inflated in London's Parliament Square Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire 9/21 Demonstrators take selfies in front of the huge balloon Reuters 10/21 Demonstrators stand in front of a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump, in Parliament Square Reuters 11/21 The balloon was inflated today in front of a large crowd Reuters 12/21 The 6m high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is flown as a protest against his visit at Parliament Square in London AP 13/21 A 'Baby Trump' balloon rises after being inflated in London's Parliament Square, as part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK PA 14/21 A 6m high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is flown as a protest against his visit at Parliament Square in London AP 15/21 A 6m high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is flown as a protest against his visit at Parliament Square in London AP 16/21 Protesters inflate the controversial balloon in Westminster PA 17/21 The balloon forms part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK PA 18/21 The Mayor allowed the balloon to fly high but Trump described it as an unwelcome gesture PA 19/21 Hundreds of people turned up to watch the balloon inflate Reuters 20/21 Thousands of people are expected to protest in London later today Reuters 21/21 Demonstrators prepare to inflate a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump, in Parliament Square Reuters 1/21 Demonstrators fly a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump above Parliament Square Reuters 2/21 Demonstrators fly a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump above Parliament Square AFP/Getty Images 3/21 A 6m high cartoon baby blimp of U.S. President Donald Trump hovers next to the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill AP 4/21 Demonstrators fly a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump, behind a tour bus in Parliament Square Reuters 5/21 Onlookers look at a blimp portraying U.S. President Donald Trump in Parliament Square Reuters 6/21 Demonstrators fly a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump in Parliament Square, London Reuters 7/21 US Marine helicopters (circled) pass the 'Baby Trump' balloon after being inflated in Parliament Square, as part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK PA 8/21 A 'Baby Trump' balloon rises after being inflated in London's Parliament Square Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire 9/21 Demonstrators take selfies in front of the huge balloon Reuters 10/21 Demonstrators stand in front of a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump, in Parliament Square Reuters 11/21 The balloon was inflated today in front of a large crowd Reuters 12/21 The 6m high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is flown as a protest against his visit at Parliament Square in London AP 13/21 A 'Baby Trump' balloon rises after being inflated in London's Parliament Square, as part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK PA 14/21 A 6m high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is flown as a protest against his visit at Parliament Square in London AP 15/21 A 6m high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is flown as a protest against his visit at Parliament Square in London AP 16/21 Protesters inflate the controversial balloon in Westminster PA 17/21 The balloon forms part of the protests against the visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK PA 18/21 The Mayor allowed the balloon to fly high but Trump described it as an unwelcome gesture PA 19/21 Hundreds of people turned up to watch the balloon inflate Reuters 20/21 Thousands of people are expected to protest in London later today Reuters 21/21 Demonstrators prepare to inflate a blimp portraying US President Donald Trump, in Parliament Square Reuters

As well as the potential for a tour, Mr Bruere said he wants to back a new organisation called “Make London Safe Again”.

He has contacted what he describes as prominent figures in the city and will be speaking to experts on and victims of crime, to push forward initiatives to make the capital safer.

He would not detail who the people involved would be but said there will be an official announcement imminently.

To coordinate the blimp plan, Mr Bruere said quit his job in Barcelona, where he was working as a sales development manager.

He would not reveal the full detail of his employer as he is still speaking to them after leaving.

However, he said: “I was told that I wasn’t allowed the time off I needed to be able to make the balloon happen.

“I felt like I had to go through with this.

“So I decided to fly back to the UK.

“It’s taken a long time [to plan]. A lot of paper work.”

The first flight of the Sadiq Khan blimp will be on September 1.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “The City Hall ‘city operations’ team has spoken with the organisers of this balloon and given permission for them to use Parliament Square Garden.

"As always, City Hall has been working in very close coordination with the Metropolitan Police and other key agencies to ensure this protest is able to be carried out in a safe and secure way."

Hundreds have said they will attend the event and backed the balloon but the blimp as well as the motivation behind it has been criticised.

Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North in Essex, wrote on Twitter: "Sadiq absolutely right to allow this - freedom to protest peacefully is vital to democracy. But people should see it for what it is - it's not about policy, it's a protest by those with links to far right extremists that others have fallen for."

Others have described the portrayal of Mr Khan as "racist".

One wrote: "You can argue that the protest isn't racist. Or that flying a balloon of him isn't racist. Or that portraying him in a bikini isn't racist. You know what gave the racists away, though? Portraying him with that nose."

Another Tweeted: "Well the design of this is just straight up racist."

Some simply said it was a waste of money.

While those supporting it have been labelled by some as "far-right".