AN ART teacher is to create his own bit of history by spending an hour on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.

AN ART teacher is to create his own bit of history by spending an hour on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.

Paul Cope, head of art at Gisleham Middle School in Carlton Colville, Lowestoft, will spend an hour on the plinth beginning at midnight tonight.

Mr Cope, 48, has been selected from thousands of applicants across the country who wanted to take their place on the six metre high structure as part of an unusual art project.

Run by artist Antony Gormley, the One and Other project sees an individual spending an hour on the plinth 24 hours a day for 100 days.

It began on July 6 and has so far seen a keen rider promoting cycling, singing, sculpture-making, a charity balloon release and a man in a “poo suit” highlighting the plight of people without access to clean water.

Mr Cope, of Kennedy Close, Halesworth, said he planned to do a drawing of the view from the plinth which he would make prints of to sell

He said: “There were 35,000 applicants for 2,500 places - a few days after I applied I found out to my amazement I had got a place.

“To be a part of something like this which is being done by a famous artist is quite a thing and I will certainly bring it into the classroom.

“It is something I hope the children will be interested in.”

He added: “Not that many people have had that view and I don't expect I shall ever get that vantage point again.”

The fourth plinth, in the north-west of Trafalgar Square, was built in 1841 and originally intended for an equestrian statue but has remained empty.

The One and Other project was commission by the mayor London and run with funds from the Arts Council in partnership with Sky Arts.

People can still apply by going to www.oneandother.co.uk