Campaigners behind plans to install a £70,000 statue of Christopher Marlowe in Canterbury have defended its design after it was compared to a “scary marine creature from Pirates of the Caribbean”.

Former Lord Mayor George Metcalfe is among those to have voiced their disapproval of the proposed sculpture, with the main bone of contention being its lack of facial features.

He believes Marlowe deserves an installation which resembles his likeness, rather than an abstract piece made of woven strips of recycled steel.

Mr Metcalfe, an ex-chairman of the Marlowe Society, said: “To consider putting up a statue to one of the greatest dramatists of the 16th century with no face, or at least something that looks like a scary marine creature from The Pirates of the Caribbean, surely cannot be what the people of Canterbury really, really want.”

The former councillor wants the statue to be of a similar design to the more life-like sculptures of Queen Bertha and King Ethelbert in Lady’s Wootton Green and Geoffrey Chaucer in the high street.

Other society members are said to be unhappy with the planned statue, but those behind the project - who do admit the construction method is “unusual” - have hit back and justified the approved design.

Dr Virginia Webb and Diana Holbrook, two leading figures on the Christopher Marlowe Statue Committee, say it is “sad to see a continued campaign” against their long-running bid.

They stress how the proposals - backed by former Archbishop Rowan Williams - faced no opposition when passed through the formal planning process, and underline how a maquette of the finished piece has received “enthusiastic support”.

“We are sorry that we cannot satisfy George’s desire for a traditional bronze statue, of which there is already a plentiful supply in the city,” they said.

“Our intention is to provide a unique memorial to the unconventional and controversialist nature of Christopher Marlowe, whose intelligence and free spirit rebelled in a period of religious intolerance, and we are convinced our sculptor will produce that.

“The method of construction proposed by our experienced sculptor Steven Portchmouth, similar to that used for his much-loved Bull in Tannery Field, is unusual but will be a dynamic and vibrant enhancement to clocktower square.”

Once the funds have been raised, the statue will replace a digital information board and be installed next to St George’s Clocktower - the church remnants of where Marlowe was baptised.

The space is set to become one of the city’s planned ‘story gardens’ - giving visitors an insight into how the Blitz damaged Canterbury.