A petition calling for a statue of Henry VII to be erected in Pembroke has been handed into the National Assembly for Wales.

Historian Nathen Amin, from Llanelli, has petitioned the Welsh Government to fund the statue as a way of both marking the town as his birthplace and boosting tourism.

"It is difficult to overstate the financial benefits the Tudors bring to the UK tourist industry, hundreds perhaps thousands of Americans alone regularly visiting the many palaces and castles in England to place themselves in the very spot history happened," said Nathen.

"Hampton Court, Windsor, Kenilworth Castle, Ludlow Castle, Hever Castle. The list is endless. Disappointingly and somewhat with a degree of short-sightedness Pembroke as a town and a castle has not capitalised on this Tudor-mad industry by marketing itself as a core Tudor attraction.

"On my many visits to Pembroke Castle, I have often been surprised by the lack of celebration towards the life of Henry Tudor at this castle.

"This isn't merely a location with a tenuous link to the Tudors, it's an integral part of the Tudor story as the birthplace of Henry VII."

The 144-signature petition was officially submitted to the Welsh Assembly petitions committee on Tuesday and was expected to be initially discussed yesterday (Thursday).

Mayor of Pembroke, Clr. Melanie Phillips says she is 'delighted and excited' at the possibility of Pembroke gaining a statue of arguably the most important King in British history.

"Pembroke holds the dubious accolade of being the only town in Britain without a statue to a king." she told the Observer.

"When towns such as Caerphilly have a statue of Tommy Cooper, it is a disgrace that the founder of the Tudor dynasty has been sidelined and deemed unimportant to our town.

"I have campaigned for over 30 years for a statue - without success. I commend Nathen Amin for his hard work and determination. Let's hope the Welsh Assembly takes note of his efforts. Well done Nathen."