A mental health charity has defended a statue it commissioned of Sir Winston
Churchill in
a straitjacket.

The statue has been criticised as "absurd and pathetic" by his grandson, Tory MP
Nicholas
Soames.

Charity Rethink commissioned the 9 ft high sculpture, unveiled in Norwich, to
highlight
the stigma of mental health.

Rethink said the image of Churchill - who suffered bouts of depression - was
designed to
"portray a more positive image of people with mental illness".

"I would question whether his depression was ever really a straitjacket for
him."
Allen Packwood, Churchill Archives Centre

Rethink director of campaigns Paul Corry said Churchill was often used by
professional
counsellors when talking about depression.

"We did not intend the statue to be offensive in any way," he added.

"The message we want to portray is that it is possible to recover from mental
illness and
overcome it and be successful - because Churchill is an example of someone who
was
able to do that.

"We are not intending to undermine Churchill or denigrate the efforts of anyone
involved in
the Second World War in any way whatsoever.

Allen Packwood, director of the Churchill Archives Centre, said while he could
understand
the reasons for putting up the statue, he disagreed with the portrayal of
Churchill.

"It does highlight the fact that even the most famous individuals, the most
iconic, are
human, do suffer from human frailties ... and I think it is quite right that
that does not
diminish him, it heightens his achievements," he told BBC Radio 4's Today
programme.

"What I would question is whether his depression was ever really a straitjacket
for him," he
added.

He said did not believe the former prime minister - who liked being in control
of his image
and being depicted as strong - would have liked the sculpture.

"I think this illustrates quite positively that Winston Churchill, despite any
problem he may
have had with his mental health, was able to carry out his functions."
Norwich North MP Dr Ian Gibson

But Norwich North MP Dr Ian Gibson disagreed, saying Churchill himself
acknowledged his
depressive periods.

"He does record that he has bad days and that he was in a straitjacket," he told
the
programme.

"I think this illustrates quite positively that Winston Churchill, despite any
problem he may
have had with his mental health, was able to carry out his functions," he said.

Commenting on the statue, Mr Soames MP said he was sure the mental health
charity
behind the project was perfectly "sensible," but the idea of showing Winston
Churchill who
suffered from depression wearing a straitjacket was "appalling and a pity," but
would not
harm his grandfather's memory.

'Publicity paying off'
Peter Threadkell of the Norwich branch of the Royal British Legion reportedly
told the Daily
Express paper it was "disrespectful".

"To show him in this way insults his memory," he said.

Mr Gibson said he felt the critics has "misinterpreted" the idea behind the
statue.

"I think a lot of people will disagree with Mr Soames, although I see some have
agreed with
him. I think they have misinterpreted what is happening here," he said.

"The publicity itself is paying off. The campaign is gaining a lot of publicity
from this
statue."

The glass fibre and bronze sculpture has been erected in Norwich city centre and
will
remain until the end of March.