BETTER 150 years late than never, but a town is poised to salute its founding father.

Darlington unveiled a statue to Quaker Joseph Pease - just off High Row, in the town centre - to commemorate the jubilee of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, in 1875.

The same man extended the railway to Middlesbrough, influencing the layout industrial development of the Teesside capital, and earning him the title of Founder of Middlesbrough.

This, however, has all but been forgotten - until now.

Middlesbrough has long had statues to ironmasters Henry Bolckow and John Vaughan, but historian Norman Moorsom believes two of the town's four key founders are missing - railway sponsor Pease and philanthropist William Fallows, a leading figure in the opening of religious facilities, schools, baths and wash houses.

Now, it is expected that Middlesbrough Borough Council will next week support in principle the commissioning of statues to the "forgotten" grandees, in partnership with the Temperance Society.

The partners' goal would be to have the two £60,000 statues in place for the 150th anniversary of a royal charter granting Middlesbrough a corporation, in 2003.

Bolckow's statue stands in the town's Exchange Square, and Vaughan's in Victoria Square. The favoured idea is to put all four statues outside the recently extended Dorman Museum, which celebrates the history of the town, and is adjacent to Albert Park, which was given to the town by Bolckow.

Mr Moorsom said: "I am so pleased everything seems to be going ahead. Once the Temperance Society became interested in sponsorship, we were taken under the wing of the Middlesbrough Town Centre Company and have established a steering group.

"Now it has gone to council chief executive John Foster and the corporate management team, who are recommending these suggestions.''