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Antony Gormley praises plinth protester

Updated on 06 July 2009

Source ITN

An anti-smoking campaigner has hijacked the "living sculpture" launch on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth - but was praised by the project's creator Antony Gormley.

A banner-waving Stuart Holmes appeared to scale the 7m-high plinth with relative ease, clinging onto the safety mesh surrounding the One & Other art work.

The anti-smoking campaigner refused to move on as Mr Gormley attempted to make a speech about his project and stood defiantly with his banner, which stated: "Save the children. Ban tobacco and actors smoking."

After standing on the plinth for several minutes, Mr Holmes decided to step onto a JCB as Rachel Wardell, the project's first official occupant, took her place.

He said he had heard about the project on the radio and decided to turn up.

Mr Gormley appeared relaxed about the incident, describing Mr Holmes as "an excellent warm-up act if the whole thing is about freedom of speech".

The sculptor said: "He chose his moment very well and I take my hat off to him."

Mr Holmes, one of the most dedicated anti-smoking campaigners of the past quarter of a century, said he usually protests outside London's High Court.

He said: "I've stood outside the High Court for 14 weeks. Everybody totally ignores this message.

"All you have to do is to ban tobacco and stop actors smoking in films."

He did not believe he had ruined Mrs Wardell's moment, saying: "I don't think I took anything away from her... the biggest threat to children is tobacco addiction... we employ Government to take care of us."

He chatted to a Police Community Support Officer before leaving the scene.

Mr Holmes, originally from Withington in Manchester, said he was based in London and had been protesting against smoking for 26 years.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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