COLCHESTER’S High Steward says his plan to see two famous sisters immortalised in statute form could become a major tourist attraction to rival that of the acclaimed Little Mermaid in Denmark.

Sir Bob Russell has been raising money through his heritage walks and talks to see sisters Jane and Ann Taylor recognised in Colchester.

In 1806, while living in the town, Jane published a children’s poem which today is known throughout the world as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Sir Bob is now weeks away from submitting a planning application for a lifesize replica of the sisters.

In the meantime he has commissioned a smaller version, known as a maquette, which was created by sculptor Mandy Pratt.

Mrs Pratt created the sculpture of Colchester United football legend the late Peter Wright which is displayed at Layer Road.

Colchester Sixth Form College students Rosie Burnside-Fitch and Emma Pugh posed as models for Mrs Pratt’s sculpture.

Chelmsford Weekly News:

The statute was then cast in bronze resin by Manningtree-based Des Stanley.

Sir Bob believes the lifesize statue would be a major tourist attraction, in the same way as the internationally famous Little Mermaid statue as he feels the nursery rhyme is better known.

The location for the statue is being kept under wraps, but Sir Bob says he will submit a planning application to Colchester Council in the coming weeks.

The final cost of producing the statue is to be finalised and Sir Bob hopes it can be raised via crowd funding.

He said: “I would prefer not to ask either Colchester Council or Essex County Council, who part-funded the statue of an anonymous woman outside Fenwicks in the High Street, to contribute any taxpayers money.

“I would dearly like this to be fully paid for by public subscription.”

Sir Bob said he will dedicate the statue to the children of the world and both he and Mrs Pratt would donate the intellectual copyright of the statue to the mayor of Colchester.

The Taylor family lived in what is now West Stockwell Street, where their father was a minister at the since demolished independent chapel in St Helen’s Lane.