Folkestone artist Suzi Ashworth has created her own tribute to the Urban Sirens who are campaigning over the tail-less Mermaid sculpture sited at Sunny Sands beach.

In a letter to the Folkestone Urban Sirens she wrote: "I thought I'd share my latest artwork with you. It is a tribute, tongue in cheek of course, to your wonderful and very funny Mermaid statue campaign. Maybe you could adopt it as a logo?

"I am a Folkestone based artist and so have seen all your photos in the press, I love the costumes and hope that other Folkestonians can see the humour in your campaign."

Suzi said she liked Cornelia Parker's statue.

Suzi's artwork

"Having seen it up close it has, in my opinion been very well made and shows a lovely female form, however the lack of tail is debatable as it may not be recognised as a mermaid by some people.

"I don't see any harm in your 'Mannequin Pis' style antics and think you have brought a great deal of attention to what could otherwise have been passed by as just another piece of Triennial artwork. Keep up the good work."

Suzi signed off: "Love from your biggest fan."

Happy to receive their first fan mail, the Sirens have awarded Suzi honorary membership of the F.U.S.

The artwork is available at MK Artlab 45 The Old High Street Folkestone and Moda 11 Rendezvous Street, Folkestone.

And following hot on the heels of the local support was a radio broadcast in the United States yesterday evening.

The Sirens and their campaign was discussed on Gashouse Radio live in Philadelphia, USA.

Trailing the show Gashouse Radio said: "We’ll  be talking about mermaids and the Folkestone Urban Sirens. Why mermaids? Well, as part of the Folkestone Triennial celebrations, a life-sized bronze statue of a woman in the pose of Copenhagen’s ‘Little Mermaid’ was commissioned and it has caused furore in the town, with many saying that she isn’t a mermaid because she doesn’t have a fish tail.

"It has been renamed the SOTNBWHBO: ‘Statue of the naked bird with her bits out’. So incensed were these ladies that eight of them decided to carry out drastic action and mock the new SOTNBWHBO by carrying out a covert photo operation."

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©