ONLY Fools and Horses fans are being urged to back plans for a giant gold statue of Del Boy at the site of his home in the classic sitcom.
Harlech Tower in London’s Acton, which was used to portray the fictional Nelson Mandela House, is due to be demolished to make way for £1billion flats.
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Actor John Challis, 76, who starred as car dealer Boycie in the show, is appealing for the site to be commemorated for its place in British Comedy history with a statue celebrating the sitcom.
Designs for the monument include a gold statue of Sir David Jason’s Del Boy and a replica of the Trotters’ yellow three-wheeler.
Other ideas to honour the site, which is 13 miles from Peckham where the sitcom was set, include a commemorative bench or plaque.
A petition calling for Ealing Council to allow a statue funded by comedy TV channel Gold has been launched online.
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The petition appeals to fans with the words: “We hereby petition the Ealing London Borough Council to acknowledge the history of Britain’s best loved show.
“By installing a plaque or statue, generations of old and new fans across the country will still have a piece of the show that they can visit and enjoy.”
The plans will have to be debated by the London council if the petition reaches 1,500 signatures.
In a video appeal to Only Fools fans, John Challis calls on fans to join him in signing the Gold TV petition.
He added: “The tower carries a lot of nostalgia for many of us – not just the cast, but everyone who has enjoyed watching the show over the years.
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“While we don’t want to stand in the way of any progress being made, we do want to commemorate the tower’s long-standing connection to Only Fools and Horses and its British comedy legacy.”
Ealing Council granted outline planning permission for 1,950 homes in December with more than 3,000 planned for the future.
Part of the regeneration will see Harlech Tower demolished.
Around half the new homes will be sold to private buyers and the rest are earmarked for affordable housing for the estate’s 5,000 existing residents.
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Only Fools and Horses ran for seven series between 1981 and 2003. There were 64 episodes in all plus seven Christmas specials.
It attracted the biggest TV audience for any British sitcom when 24.3 million people tuned in for the 1996 Christmas special.
The petition can be signed here
