Sir David Amess life-size statue set to be unveiled

Shivani Chaudhari - BBC News, Essex
·2 min read
Sir David Amess
Sir David Amess had long championed the bid to make Southend a city [STEPHEN HUNTLEY]
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A life-size statue created in the memory of a long-serving Conservative MP who was murdered almost three years ago is to be unveiled.

Sir David Amess served as a Southend West MP when he was fatally stabbed in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in October 2021.

It will be unveiled on Thursday at 15:00 BST at Chalkwell seafront near the Chalkwell Lifeguards' base in Southend.

Lady Julia Amess said: "He is missed every day - but his light remains."

Andrew Lilley working on a statue of Sir David Amess
Andrew Lilley started work on his Sir David Amess sculpture in January last year [Andrew Lilley]

The statue was designed and cast in bronze by sculptor Andrew Lilley, who said he felt compelled to create the artwork to honour the Southend West politician who was "so loved and admired".

Mr Lilley decided to start work on the sculpture even before securing any funding for it.

The money needed for the sculpture was raised by Sir David's MP successor, Anna Firth, and businessman Dr Vijay Patel.

Once unveiled, the statue will sit atop a plinth surrounded by rose bushes, which were Sir David's favourite flowers.

A sculpture of Sir David Amess, a work in progress
The artwork was still underway in April last year and images were shared of the progress [Andrew Lilley]

The statue has been positioned on top of a pedestal to give the impression that Sir David is standing and looking out over the estuary, Southend Pier and The Crowstone.

Lady Amess said: "It was crucial to ensure that the location was perfect, as I know David would have settled for nothing less.

"Being able to incorporate all of David's favourite aspects of Southend, but especially the seafront played a key part in the choosing of this location and it's one I am sure he would've loved."

Ms Firth said: "I was adamant when I was elected to succeed Sir David that there should be a permanent and meaningful memorial to someone who gave their life for Southend."

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