AN Oxford Muslim leader has said a simple way to solve the argument over Oriel College's Cecil Rhodes statue would be to cut its nose off.

Hojjat Ramzy suggested a simple and cheap alternative to removing the statue of the 19th century imperialist from the college on High Street would be to deface it.

Dr Ramzy said this would be a 'far more expedient, and arguably more powerful' approach to dealing with the statue than the current plan.

Read also: Murder investigation launched after car crash in Thame

At the moment, Oriel College is planning an inquiry to decide the future of the statue, which is due to last until January.

The leader of Oxford City Council has also invited the college to apply for planning permission to remove Rhodes' image from the Grade-II listed building, a process which usually takes several months.

The director of the Oxford Islamic Information Center said: "Throughout history, where statues and monuments of prior civilisations could not be removed by subsequent generations and conquering forces, or where these new governments or powers wished to leave reminders of their predecessors as warnings and lessons to the populace, these figures and icons were instead defaced, usually through the removal of the nose.

Oxford Mail:

"Rather than being hidden away in a museum or erased from memory, these icons were instead transformed into reminders of what the current population stood against; they were visible representations of the change that the country or state had undergone."

Also read: Councillors who signed Rhodes statue letter may be excluded from deciding its future

The faith leader said this might save money from the public purse, as well as the college's coffers.

He concluded by saying: "In this way, action is taken – history and its changing tides are represented with immediate effect and with minimal costs, and our united stand against racism and the continued fight against it are made plainly visible for current and future generations."

"I recommend that the nose will be kept in the museum and perhaps one day when the total equality been achieving the nose can join the face."