A FRESH appeal has been launched to help raise the final £6,000 to pay for a permanent tribute to comedienne Victoria Wood.

The star’s brother, Chris Foote Wood is urging fans to dig deep to fund a memorial statue of his late sister, which will be sited in Library Gardens in Silver Street, Bury.

Ms Wood, who died of cancer at the age of 62, was born in Prestwich and raised in Bury.

The ‘Let’s Do It’ campaign was launched last year for £30,000 to pay for the statue – which could provide Bury with a fresh tourist attraction similar to the iconic Eric statue on the promenade at Morecambe.

Mr Foote Wood is now asking for the final donations to keep the project on track for an unveiling in May or June.

He said: “Thanks to the 790 supporters, including Dame Judi Dench who donated £1,000, we have a total of £23,008 for a statue of Victoria Wood in her home town.

“Now we need another £6,000 to reach our target of £30,000. Chosen in an online poll run by Bury Council, the image for the statue will be based on Victoria’s character Bren from her TV sitcom Dinnerladies.

“Victoria was loved by millions not only for her unique comedy and her brilliant writing and acting, but also for her modesty and generosity.

“She deserves a permanent memorial where her many fans can visit and pay tribute and also have their selfies taken.

“Bury Council can’t pay for the statue, but is providing the site in the town centre and will do ongoing maintenance.

“People can give in confidence that Victoria’s statue will go ahead — I will make sure that all costs are met.”

So far 15 sculptors have been in touch to express interest in creating the statue.

To donate to Mr Foote Wood’s Let’s Do It appeal go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chris-footewood