A BRITISH hero could end up on the other side of the world after he was snubbed by his own country.

North-East born general Sir Henry Havelock could be removed from Trafalgar Square after London mayor Ken Livingstone said few Londoners had heard of him.

Now a town more than 11,000 miles away has offered to provide a home for the hero of the Indian Mutiny.

Havelock North on New Zealand's North Island was named after Sir Henry, born at Bishopwearmouth, the son of a Sunderland ship-builder.

Richard Jones, a councillor in Havelock North, said they would be keen to get hold of a statue of the town's namesake.

He said: "People here were aware that Havelock was named after Sir Henry Havelock but that was about as far as it went.

"Ties with Britain are fading, but in Havelock North there are a lot of residents related back to Britain and there is still probably a feeling of association."

But he said the town's willingness to welcome Sir Henry may not go as far as paying to ship him over.

Sir Henry, who died in 1857, also has strong links to Darlington, with many of his family settling in the town.

A statue of him is already in place in Sunderland but Darlington historian George Flynn said if the Trafalgar Square version were removed, the town would be a better resting place than New Zealand.

He said: "I don't suppose 99 people out of 100 in Darlington know there is a statue of him but we have got very few statues in the town and it would be good to have him here.

"They could put him in South Park and even though the town in New Zealand is named after him I think we have a good claim."