A two-metre high antelope statue could be built in the grounds of Warwick Castle if plans are approved.

An application to build the bronze memorial statue for The Royal Warwickshire Regiment in the Peacock Garden area of the Grade I castle has been submitted to Warwick District Council.

The Indian Black Buck statue is based on 'Bobby' - the regiment's mascot - and would be a memorial to members of the regiment who died during active service.

Plans show the bronze statue would sit on a two-tier plinth with a commemorative plaque.

If approved, the memorial would replace a bench next to the 18th century orangery building, which was originally built to house a huge 4th century Greek marble urn.

The application said: "The proposed memorial would sit comfortably within the formal Peacock Garden, creating a new focal point at the end of one of the three linear pathways, replacing the existing modern bench seat."

It added: "The discrete location of the memorial, at the edge of the formal garden and set within existing boundary planting, means that it would not distract from or compete with the design value of the Peacock Garden."

Last year a memorial honouring the 154 men from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment who were killed or injured during a battle in France in 1944 was unveiled in Normandy.

The plaque was unveiled at Lebisey Wood near Caen in June, 78 years after the regiment's second battalion suffered heavy losses during the unsuccessful assault on Lebisey.

A memorial honouring the Royal Warwickshire Regiment men who were lost on 7 June 1944 was unveiled at Lebisey Wood last year (image supplied)