VICTORIA Wood's fans have met the £20,000 crowd-funding target to build a sculpture of the late comedian in the town she grew up in.

The star's brother Chris Foote Wood, who lives in Darlington, launched a campaign to erect a life-size memorial in the centre of Bury in Lancashire as a permanent tribute to his sister, who died of cancer in April at the age of 62.

He announced that the target had been reached two months after launching his appeal on the JustGiving site.

"Most fans have given £10 or £20, but I am amazed to find that one fan has just given £740 to take us over the top," he said.

"That and the £1,000 recently donated by Dame Judi Dench has given us a real boost."

Wood's brother is now asking for another £10,000 to cast, transport and fix the life-size solid bronze statue to its location.

Bury Council is providing the site and will maintain the sculpture.

The council is also running an online poll for fans to choose from two of Wood's best loved characters - Brenda "Bren" Furlong from Dinnerladies or Kimberley's Friend - for the statue to be based on.

If all goes to plan, the memorial will be built in Library Gardens in Manchester Road by May or June next year.

To vote, visit www.bury.gov.uk/victoria. To donate go to www.tinyurl.com/letsdoitforvictoria