IMMORTALISE Dickens' characters and not the great man himself, Kent Online readers have suggested.

As squabbles over whether we should ignore Charles Dickens' self-imposed ban on monuments in his honour and erect a statue of the great man in Kent continue, contributors to our Dickens’ SpeakOut have come up with a novel way of keeping both critics and supporters happy.

Medway council recently revealed it was considering putting up a statue of the famous author in the district, despite the fact Dickens stated in his will that he wanted no such thing.

The news has not only angered local historians, who think the move would be an insult to the author’s last wishes, but has also riled the people of neighbouring Gravesham, who are claiming more right to a Dickens memorial than the Medway Towns.

But all disputes could be solved if the powers that be heed the words of our visitors.

One reader from Gravesend wrote on KentOnline: “Surely the great man should have his dying request granted, and instead place a monument relating to his works instead?

“Characters from his books could be immortalised with the words "Creation of Mr Charles Dickens”.”

Jon R, from Walderslade, added: “It would be nice to have some kind of memorial pieces (sic) such as characters in bronze dotted around Rochester and Chatham, inscribed with character details… with maybe one main centre piece known as the Dickens monument.”

The man behind Great Expectations, Bleak House and Oliver Twist lived in Medway and Gravesham, and wrote in his last will and testament: “I conjure my friends on no account to make me the subject of any monument memorial or testimonial whatever(,) I rest my claims to the remembrance of my Country upon my published works....”

However, Dickens descendants are now backing the idea of erecting a statue of their ancestor, and say a memorial is ‘long overdue’.

The writer’s great-great-grandson, Ian Dickens, wrote in our SpeakOut: “Can you obey the desires set out in a will when there are numerous 'monuments' that have appeared in the last 100 years?

“Like my Uncle Cedric and my cousin Mark, I endorse the call for a formal monument and if one appears in Rochester, another in Portsmouth and another in London, then hurrah to that.”

But historians in his former home town claim a memorial would only insult his memory.

Christine Furminger, honourable secretary of the City of Rochester Society, said: “Charles Dickens made his wishes perfectly clear in his will and I am certain that with his knowledge of the law he would not pen a legal document which could be misconstrued.

“It would be arrogant to ignore his words, which we must take at face value.”

The leader of Gravesham council Mike Snelling was also riled by the idea of the UK’s first statue of the great author being sited outside their boundaries, and said: “Dickens clearly didn’t want a statue, but Gravesham has as much, if not greater, right to one than Medway.”

Philadelphia, USA, is home to the world’s only life-sized statue of the author, made in 1894 and sent to England as a gift from the American people, but it was sent back unopened by Dickens’ son, who was angry his father’s will had been ignored.