A campaign for a memorial statue of a late local celebrity duck has reaped success by reaching the top tier of its fundraising goal. 

Long Boi, a mallard Indian runner cross, who became a viral hit on social media for being unusually tall at 2ft 4in, is presumed dead. 

He has not been seen at the University of York's west campus where he lived for more than two months.

The Students' Union launched a campaign with the goal of £10,000 to commission a bronze, life-size statue in memory of their beloved Long Boi, following requests from students and the wider community.

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The Union set a donation tier system, which meant that if only £1,000 was raised, the money would be donated to a charitable cause within the University, and up to £2,000, a memorial bench with a plaque would be installed instead of the statue.

The donations have shot through the first two tiers, and the Union has raised £4,000 so far.

On the crowdfunding page, Pierrick Roger, the president of the university's students' union, thanked those who have donated so far.

He said: "I want to say a personal thank you to each and every one of you who have contributed to the success of the fundraiser, no matter how big or how small your donation.

"This crowdfund would not have been a success without you.

"We still need your help though! There's still a long way to go (pardon the pun). The more money we raise, the better the quality of the statue we can obtain.

"After all, I think we can all agree that His Royal Löngthness deserves the very best. 

"So please, whatever you can do, whether it's sharing the fundraiser on social media, or asking fellow Boi stans to donate, every little bit helps!"

The students' union has pledged to donate any excess funds to good causes within the university, either to Mentally Fit York - a fund to transform mental health - or to a Travel Abroad Award in the form of a York Futures Scholarship named after Long Boi.

To help the students commission the statue, please click here to donate.