In the week that the next mayor of High Wycombe said he wanted to bring the “wow factor” back to the town, we can reveal the historic Red Lion will be painted luminous yellow to draw more attention to the High Street.

For years residents have been calling for something to be done to make the High Street the heart of the town once again and they have now revealed their joy at this news.

The historic statue – which has finally been restored after almost a year of fundraising – is set to be unveiled on the portico later this month.

However, decision makers have decided that it is time for a change and will use the iconic figure in a bid to attract more people to the town by painting it yellow.

Organiser Joe King said: “Bright luminous yellow is the perfect colour to attract people to the town.

“It’s definitely a big change and could cause a bit of an uproar, but is expected to be quite a talking point and should even be bright enough to draw people to the High Street at night.”

He added: “After careful consideration we have decided to keep the Red Lion’s name the same – we hope that won’t be too confusing.”

What do you think of the plans? Have your say below.