EDENBRIDGE: Artist Andrea Deans poses next to the Edenbridge Bonfire Society’s 2018 ‘Celebrity Guy’, former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, during the unveiling in Edenbridge, Southern England yesterday. — AFP

EDENBRIDGE: A giant effigy of former foreign secretary Boris Johnson will be torched as part of a British town's Bonfire Night celebrations, organizers revealed yesterday. The 36-foot tall caricature will be set ablaze on Saturday in Edenbridge, Kent, southeast England, with more than 10,000 people expected to attend. Johnson, who spearheaded the pro-Brexit campaign, resigned in July over Prime Minister Theresa May's plans to keep Britain close to the European Union after leaving the bloc in March. Johnson is depicted with a mop of blond hair poking out from under his cycling helmet, wearing lurid red-and-white jogging shorts and odd socks. The 54-year-old is shown holding an EU cake, about to eat a slice of it with the British flag on.

"Our message to Mr Johnson is that you cannot have your cake and eat it," said Edenbridge Bonfire Society chairman Bill Cummings. "We hope Mr Johnson will appreciate the humor contained in our caricature and take it in the good spirit with which it is intended." Guy Fawkes or Bonfire Night marks the foiling of a plot by Catholic conspirators to blow up Protestant king James I and the Houses of Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder on November 5, 1605. It is celebrated with bonfires and fireworks displays either on November 5 or the nearest weekend, with effigies of the plotter Fawkes burned.

Edenbridge has been poking fun at famous figures for more than 20 years, torching effigies of them alongside the traditional Guy Fawkes. Last year disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein went up in flames while in 2016 it was US President Donald Trump. "As with last year, there were many strong contenders for this year's celebrity Guy, particularly in the political world," said artist Andrea Deans, who painted the Johnson effigy. "This year Boris was the obvious option, plus he's great to caricature." Previous targets have been cyclist Lance Armstrong, footballer Wayne Rooney, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and British prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown._ AFP