A STATUE of Sir Walter Raleigh is likely to make way for a monument marking the heroic efforts of the Aycliffe Angels and thousands of other women during the Second World War.

A permanent memorial, due to be erected in Whitehall, London, will give further recognition to unsung heroes on the Home Front.

Campaigners had hoped the tribute would be pride of place in Trafalgar Square. But the proposal to place the statue outside Ministry of Defence (MoD) headquarters and yards from the Cenotaph is seen as a fitting tribute.

Campaigners pushing for the memorial are in talks with officials from the MoD, English Heritage and Westminster City Council to carry the plan forward.

Selby MP John Grogan, an avid supporter of the plan, said: "It is important that we have such a monument at the very heart of the capital. The Aycliffe Angels and many other women throughout the country can now look forward to the unveiling of the statue within about 18 months."

The news was greeted with delight in the region. One of the Aycliffe Angels munitions workers, Jennie Harrison, 78, of Shildon, County Durham, said: "I have fought for nearly nine years for this.

"I am all for it. We want something permanent - something we can look at and say 'Well we did our bit and people that were killed did their bit'."

The statue of Sir Walter Raleigh is expected to be moved to the Royal Naval College at Greenwich.

The exact design of the new memorial has yet to be finalised with three artists given until January 2001 to submit proposals. The monument is expected to be a bronze sculpture of figurines.