A Doctor Who enthusiast who has made a living from sculpting more than 50 life size Daleks is calling on supporters to help build a permanent tribute to the iconic villains. 

 
Julian Vince, 49, from South Wimbledon, is known for making life size reproductions of Daleks and is hoping to make his dream of erecting a permanent Dalek statue to honour the cult TV series a reality. 

He said: "The statue would give some recognition to the people who created this icon.
"The other day I was given a card which had two Daleks on the front trying to get onto a bus.
"The Dalek has survived 50 years and it’s typically British and for anything to last that long is quite amazing."

Mr Vince started building models of the characters in his teens and has since sculpted dozens of Daleks and science fiction models which have been bought by enthusiasts and used in exhibitions with many of the original props from the original series, which ran from 1963 to 1989, now lost. 

He said: "In 1972 at the science museum in London they had a BBC exhibition the highlight for me was a reproduction of the tardis and the control room and two Daleks.

"My mum got talking to someone who worked at the BBC who sent me a photograph.

"I wrote to thank him and that was the beginning of years of correspondences with people at the BBC and production and special effects people - that was my opening and way through the door to it all."

Doctor Who will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year and will return to the BBC later this month for its seventh season after being reborn in 2005.

Mr Vince is hoping to stir up support for his project which he hopes could one day see the Daleks immortalised.    

He said: "I’m not sure where it would be situated but I guess it could be anywhere in the country as it’s a national thing.
"I’m putting an idea out and see what the reaction is.
"This would be the start of what would be a national campaign."