A last-ditch attempt is being made to find a home for a statue commemorating the Battle of Barnet

Community group Love Whetstone is trying to crowdfund £60,000 to get the sculpture, symbolising the “psychological scars” of a warrior, cast in bronze.

Created by John Somerville, who sculpted the Spike Milligan statue in Avenue House, Finchley, Pyrrhic Victory depicts a man on horseback worn down by war.

Commissioned by the council in 1993 for High Barnet, the statue was never cast despite five attempts to get planning permission.

The clay model has stayed in the artist’s workshop for more than 20 years.

The 66-year-old sculptor from Wood Street, High Barnet, was inspired to create it by the Duke of Wellington quote “Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won”.

Mr Somerville said: “It’s about the effect of war on the warrior - a psychological piece to imagine the weight and feel of battle.

“Even If you are winning you have lost many men; war is a bit of Pyrrhic victory for everybody involved.

“I look at the knight and think of a tank stuck in the mud.”

Love Whetstone is calling for a last-ditch attempt to find a public home for Pyrrhic Victory in Whetstone.

According to folklore, soldiers sharpened their blades before the battle on a stone outside The Griffin pub in Whetstone – the stone is still there today.

The community group wants the statue to be erected on a green opposite Halfords in High Road, Whetstone, as part of renovation work.

It is attempting to raise £60,000 on crowdfunding site Spacehive.

Group founder Maria Jordan, 71, said: “When I first saw it I thought it was one of the most evocative sculptures I had seen in a long time.

“The concept behind it resonated with me.

“The statue is about a part of the history of Barnet.

“Love Whetstone wants to help artists and try to get what they want to say out there.

“We want the statue to be made and enjoyed by the community.”