Hotel group's George Best statue will be an '˜amazing tribute'

The sister of Northern Ireland football legend George Best has welcomed plans for the erection of a life-size statue of the Manchester United winger as part of a new hotel development in Belfast city centre.

The statue on the roof of the new £15m George Best Hotel, which is being created with the redevelopment of the old Scottish & Mutual building at Donegall Square, will be a permanent memorial to Northern Ireland’s most famous footballing son.

The ambitious hotel project is a joint venture between Lawrence and Katie Kenwright’s Liverpool-based Signature Living Hotel Group and the family of George Best, including his sister Barbara McNarry.

Welcoming plans for the statue, Mrs McNarry told the News Letter: “It’s a pleasure to be working alongside Signature Living on yet another amazing tribute to my brother.

“Their track record and passion for restoring listed buildings is first class and I’m extremely excited about seeing the George Best Hotel, complete with George looking down, come to fruition.”

The George Best Hotel - the first of four hotels and an £80 million pound investment into Belfast by Signature Living - is due to open in November.