RESIDENTS have been forbidden from honouring British sporting hero Sir Steve Redgrave with a particular statue because it may break Olympic copyright laws.

The townsfolk of Marlow Bottom have been lobbying for years to build a monument in honour of the five times gold medallist, who has lived in Marlow Bottom all his life.

The residents have collected a pot of money and commissioned local artist Steve Woodbridge to create a piece of artwork recognising the rowers momentous achievement - winning five gold medals at five consecutive Olympic games.

However, in the same week that the Beijing Olympics begin, the British Olympic Association has refused to give the project its blessing, meaning that the statue cannot be built.

Peter Borrows, chairman of Marlow Bottom Valley Residents' Association, said: "For God's sake, what is this about?

"We're stuck here eight years after Steve achieved what he achieved."

One of the conditions imposed by Wycombe District Council when they granted planning permission for the statue was that Marlow Bottom Valley Residents' Association, which is organising the project, seeks the approval of the British Olympic Association (BOA).

Malcolm Blanksby, Wycombe District Councillor for Greater Marlow approached the BOA on behalf of the residents' association.

However, the BOA refused to give permission as the design for the statue incorporated an element that was too similar to the Olympic emblem of five interlocking rings.

The International Olympic Committee owns the copyright to the rings emblem. However, it was the BOA which refused to give approval on its behalf.

The Marlow Free Press+ approached Cllr Blanksby, but he did not want to comment.

Peter Borrows said: "I can understand that people say they look a bit like the Olympic rings, but it never occurred to us that there might be a problem."

Mike Williams from Goodwood Rise, Marlow Bottom said: "We've been playing the diplomatic card for a good 12 months now and to be honest we've got to the point where we can't see where diplomacy is going to get us.

"We've held off on going to the 'papers on the grounds that we didn't want to rock the boat, but diplomacy doesn't seem to have an effect on these people anyway."

Mr Borrows said that when Sir Steve won his fifth gold medal in 2000, he made a small tribute to the town celebrity.

"Before he came back we painted five gold medals on the wall by the Rebellion brewery to welcome him back.

"While I was doing it a car drove up with an American tourist inside.

"He asked me what I was doing, and when I told him he said, If this was small town America they'd have a statue of the guy here already.' "That's the American attitude - they celebrate success. We only want to do the same."

The Marlow Free Press contacted the BOA on Tuesday. By press deadline we had received no response. We also tried to contact Steve Redgrave, but he is in China for the Beijing Olympics.