Acclaimed artist Tracey Emin has been invited to play a significant role in reversing the fortunes of her home town.

A fierce supporter of Margate, she recently declared her dismay at its prospects at the opening of the Triennial Arts Festival in Folkestone, where she is exhibiting seven bronze sculptures inspired by the high number of teenage pregnancies in Thanet.

And writing in her column in The Independent, she said: “Margate should be somewhere I rejoice to come back to. But every time I visit I am filled with dread.

“Every single time I come something has been burnt, destroyed, fire-bombed, boarded up, demolished or completely forgotten about and left to go into a tragic state of disrepair. It is strange to witness the death of a town.”

Thanet council chairman Cllr John Kirby said: “She has quite vociferously promoted her image as a girl from the backstreets of Margate who has made good.

“I would love her to bring her exhibition that is at Folkestone to Margate.”

For full story see this week’s Isle of Thanet Extra