ARTIST Graham Clarke, from Maidstone, is backing a campaign for the Invicta horse to be chosen for the so-called Angel of the South sculpture competition.

Kent County Council is so affronted by the 50ft high white stallion design by Mark Wallinger that it is launching a campaign for the Invicta horse, the county’s centuries-old symbol, to be selected instead.

Mr Wallinger, a Turner Prize winner, is the favourite of five artists commissioned to come up with ideas for the £2 million sculpture close to Ebbsfleet International Station, which could be completed by December 2009 for the launch of domestic high-speed services.

But KCC does not like it, claiming that the county already has a perfectly suitable horse in Invicta.

It will launch its preferred design at next week’s Kent County Show, based on a painting it commissioned from artist Graham Clarke, from Boughton Monchelsea.

Mr Clarke says Mr Wallinger has failed to do his homework on Kent.

"The horse idea is fine but the bloke’s wrong." he said. "I’m not putting myself forward to do a design but I’m going to help the campaign."

He said he would like to see the general public allowed inside and up the horse’s leg to see panoramic views of North West Kent through a hole at the top.

Cllr Alex King (Con), deputy KCC leader, said he thought a horse was the only appropriate design, adding: "But not that horse. The county council will campaign to get the Invicta horse."

He denied that KCC wanted the Invicta horse -the council’s own symbol - for propaganda purposes. "The county council has been around for 120 years, the horse has been around for 1,600. It is the internationally-recognised symbol of Kent and is used by many organisations."

He said the council was prepared to lobby hard "until we get the right horse."

A spokesman for the scheme’s backers Eurostar, London and Continental Railways, and Land Securities, said they were keen to encourage comment.

Judges are expected to make their choice in September.