The first statue of a woman is due to be unveiled in Parliament Square next week to mark the centenary of women being allowed the right to vote in the UK.

On Tuesday April 24 there will be a public unveiling a statue of the suffragist leader Millicent Fawcett, which was commissioned by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

The names and portraits of 59 men and women who campaigned for women’s suffrage will be inscribed on a plinth alongside the famous suffragist.

Mr Khan will attend the unveiling as well as Caroline Criado-Perez, who campaigned to get the first statue of a women in Parliament Square when she started a petition for the monument, which was signed by almost 85,000 people.

Artist Gillian Wearing designed the statue and is also the first female artist to create a statue for Parliament Square.

The new Parliament Square monument comes as part of the Sadiq Khan’s #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign which celebrates the role of women in London.

Commenting on the #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign earlier this year Mr Khan said: "Over the next year, and beyond, we will highlight how women of all ages, ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds make London the great city it is.

"More importantly, we will redouble our efforts in the fight for gender equality. We must do all we can to remove any barriers to women’s success and to unlock their full potential."

Further guests at the public opening ceremony are to be confirmed closer to the time.