Meet the man who designed the Tiger's new statue

A 12 metre (39 feet) statue will stand at the entrance of the Leicester Tigers rugby ground.

And it’s been designed by a Kibworth man - museum and visitor attraction specialist Harvey Gardiner.

Mr Gardiner (52), also a longstanding Tigers supporter, said: “I get a buzz out of each project I do,

“But I think this is the closest to my heart - it means a lot to me and to other people.”

The imposing tiger sculpture will be the £180.000 centrepiece of a quarter of a million pound project to honour Leicester Tigers rugby players who died in the two world wars.

The organisation behind the project is the Leicester Tigers Time Team, part of Leicester Tigers Foundation - the club’s charitable arm.

They are calling on fans across Leicestershire to help raise the money.

They want the monument to be in place by Remembrance Day, 2018.

Harvey said the sculpture would be a gateway to the main stand at the Welford Road ground in Leicester.

He explained: “One tiger represents the regiment and one tiger represents the club – emphasising the link between the two organisations.”

The Tigers are named after the nickname of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment, with links between the two groups maintained through the rugby club’s 136 year history.

To help raise money for the project, fans can buy one of 2,000 bronze ‘Tigers Foundation’ Crown coins, for £110.

Purchasers will have their name laser cut into the base of the tigers monument, Harvey said.

Names of the fallen who played for Leicester Tigers will also be on the plinth.

Harvey’s previous work includes the King Richard III exhibition in Leicester, and projects as far afield as Dubai and Sri Lanka.