A HANDFUL of lucky sporting heroes came face to face with their images which will feature on the towering Spirit of Sport statue.

The 85ft tall sculpture will be covered in thousands of silver plates bearing the pictures of community sportsmen and women from across the Bolton borough.

It is to be erected at the De Havilland Roundabout outside the Reebok Stadium in Horwich later this month.

To mark the countdown to the construction of the statue - which it is hoped will rival Tyneside's famous Angel of the North - town hall bosses overseeing the £350,000 project invited some of those who will feature on it to check out their own images.

The youngest person to appear on the statue will be four-year-old Tae Kwon Do star Alexis MacDowall, of Blackrod.

She was nominated by her instructor at the Bolton School-based club, world champion Michael Parchment, who will also appear on the sculpture.

Her mum, Jenny MacDowall said: "It is fantastic. We just can't wait to see it in place knowing that somewhere up there will be Alexis' face.

"It is something she will be able to look back at with pride when she is older."

Farnworth's Joanne Mather and her 12-year-old daughter Hannah have also been chosen to appear on the statue.

Inland revenue worker Joanne was chosen because of her work as cricket manager at Farnworth Cricket Club and because she is a member of the club's rounders team.

St James High School pupil Hannah was picked because she plays for Bolton Tornadoes Hockey Club and Farnworth Cricket Club.

Joanne, aged 38, said: "It is great for the family. When we look at this sculpture it will always be special for us knowing we are up there."

Baseball player Paul Mortimer, aged 30, of Westhoughton, and Hockey coach Sue Russell, of Farnworth, were also invited to the event.

Around 900 community sporting stars will appear on the sculpture after being nominated by friends, family and sporting groups.

Major stars from the borough will also appear alongside them after the Bolton Evening News drew up a list of borough's greatest sporting heroes chosen from those nominated by readers.

Among those picked in the People's Choice list were Nat Lofthouse, Amir Khan and Sam Allardyce.

Andy Ratcliffe, of Bolton Council, said: "The Spirit of Sport will be representative of all levels of sport.

"For every great, there are 100,000 people behind them and we wanted as many people as possible to be involved in this celebration of sport as possible."