Campaign to raise funds for life-size Portmeirion statue of The Prisoner star axed

A campaign to raise £90,000 for a life-sized statue of Patrick McGoohan, star of the TV hit The Prisoner has been shelved.

The 6ft 2ins bronze statue was to be at Portmeirion, the Italianite village in Gwynedd where the 1960s cult show was filmed.

Patrick McGoohan was Number 6, where all the residents were known by a number.

The statue aimed to pay tribute to and remember American actor McGoohan, who died in 2009, and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first broadcasting of the show .

Team6 campaign organisers have put on their website “A very sad announcement.”

A statement said: “The Team6 Campaign organisers are sorry to report that owing to logistical matters and funding considerations, the aims of the project cannot be achieved in the short term. In view of this a decision has been made, with regret, to halt the venture at this point and all sums donated so far will be refunded.

“Team6 are very grateful for the strong early support shown for the plans, but these cannot be achieved in the window of time originally envisaged.”

The co-ordinator, David Miles, thanks backers including the Portmeirion Trust, ITV, the official appreciation society, “and Catherine McGoohan and family for their kindness and amazing support.”

McGoohan’s character spent the entire 17-episode series trying to escape from a luxury island prison community called The Village and to learn the identity of his nemesis, Number One.

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