Doreen Wiseman arrived in Morley on Friday to visit the Lord Mayor of Leeds Coun Judith Elliott and made a special visit to Howley Park quarry where work on the statue has begun.

Mrs Wiseman offered her support to a lasting memorial of her late husband after hearing of Morley's campaign to honour the song and dance man and also donated money for the statue.

Local sculptor Melanie Wilks, who also did the miner and weaver that sit outside Morley Town Hall, started work on the statue on Friday, watched by Mrs Wiseman.

The large block of stone had to first be split by Ian Howgate, of Calder Masonry, before work could be started.

Once the statue is complete, it will be displayed near Morley Pavilion, where Ernie's career on the stage started.

One of five children, Ernest Wiseman lived at Station Terrace, East Ardsley. He attended Thorpe Junior and Infant School and finished his education at East Ardsley Boys' School.

Aged six, he joined his father on stage entertaining crowds at working men's clubs as a double act called Carson and Kid and appeared on stage solo for the first time in 1938 at Morley's New Pavilion theatre.

It was 1939 and Ernie was travelling the country when he happened upon a fellow entertainer, Eric Bartholomew. The pair became inseparable. Shortly after, Eric adopted the surname Morecambe and Ernie shortened his name to Wise.

For the years that followed Morecambe and Wise's memorable set-pieces to Singin' in the Rain and The Stripper attracted millions of viewers – 28 million on Christmas Day in 1977. Sketches with stars like Andre Previn and Shirley Bassey made them national institutions.

On May 28 1984 Eric suffered a fatal heart attack, ending a legendary partnership that spanned over four decades and leaving Ernie devastated.

Retiring from show business in 1995, Ernie died on March 21 1999, aged 73, following a series of heart problems.