A PROTESTER from Manchester became the first 'living sculpture' on Trafalgar square's fourth plinth after gatecrashing the event.

The One and Other project gives members of the public the chance to stand on the plinth every hour, every day for 100 days.

Rachel Wardell, a 35-year-old mother-of-two from Lincolnshire, was supposed to be first on with her two young children. But after skirting past security, Stuart Holmes from Withington, leapt on to the plinth before she arrived and unfurled a banner saying 'Save the children. Ban tobacco and actors smoking. One billion deaths this century'.

He refused to move on even as sculptor Antony Gormley tried to make a speech. After Gormley urged the protestor to do the 'gentlemanly thing' a JCB later moved up to the plinth and Mr Holmes stepped on to it as Ms Wardell stepped on.

Mr Holmes said he had decided to make the protest, which involved running across a railing and hauling himself up by wire mesh around the back of the plinth, after hearing about the artwork on the radio.

He said: "I've stood outside the High Court for 14 weeks. Everybody totally ignores this message. All you have to do is to ban tobacco and stop actors smoking in films."

Mr Holmes was on the plinth while Gormley was delivering his speech to onlookers in which he described the 'living picture' that the participants would create.

He said: "I didn't use a rope. I was slightly anxious that I would not be fit enough but I managed to do it... I thought at first it was impossible."

When asked if he had ruined Ms Wardell's big moment he said: "I don't think I took anything away from her... the biggest threat to children is tobacco addiction. We employ government to take care of us."

Mr Holmes became notorious for similar stunts in the eighties. In 1989 he was arrested after pursuing Nigel Lawson, then chancellor, during his pre-budget walk for the cameras.

After finally getting on the plinth Ms Wardell said she aimed to represent 'normal everyday stay-at-home mums' and held a sign promoting the children's charity NSPCC.

Other 'plinthers' on the first day include Suren Seneviratne, a 22 year-old Sri Lankan student and artist, and Ishvinder Singh Matharu, a 31-year-old optometrist, from Chigwell.

Over the coming weeks, Ceri Aston, 37, of Levenshulme, Maria Grant, 41, of Salford, and Emma Roy-Williams, of Withington, will be among the 2,400 to step to the plinth.