...by his own children

Fundraisers, backed by Les's second wife Tracy, are aiming to collect £60,000 for a memorial near the couple's old home in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

But Julie, Stuart and Pamela – Les's children from his first marriage to Meg – want the plans scrapped, and the money donated to charity.

They said he was a private man who would have rather helped good causes than mark his own career.

In a statement to the Blackpool Gazette, they said: ‘Many people who knew dad will know he was a very kind, considerate, thoughtful and modest man who did a lot for charity but kept many of his actions private.

‘While we support the idea of a lasting tribute to dad, we feel he would have got more joy from more than one project benefiting from the money.

‘That would be the kind of memorial we feel he would have wanted as there would be a direct impact and benefit to people's lives.’

More than 3,000 people have so far backed plans for the statue of Dawson, who died of a heart attack at the age of 59 in June 1993.

Published: 21 Oct 2007