A statue of Sir Henry Cooper could finally be put up in the town he once called home - outside the building where he trained to take on Muhammad Ali.

The London Ex Boxers Association has raised £40,000 towards a statue in honor of the legenadary boxer, who grew up in Farmstead Road, Bellingham and is the only man to win three Lonsdale belts - a prize for British champions - outright.

And Councillor Alan Hall is calling for the statue to be placed outside the Fellowship, used as a training venue by Sir Henry in 1963, and now undergoing a landmark £3.8m restoration.

Coun Hall, admitted it was far from a done deal, but said: "It really tied in with the vision of the Fellowship project for a community venue."

Back in 2011, shortly after the great fighter's death, News Shopper campaigned for a memorial to him in Bellingham.

In 2012, following a petition by ward councillors and residents, a plaque was unveiled outside his former home.