Queen's drummer 'stole' giant Freddie Mercury statue

Queen star Roger Taylor annoyed his bandmate Brian May by "nicking" the Freddie Mercury statue from the front of the theatre which staged the play 'We Will Rock You', Ben Elton has claimed.

The hit musical, which was written by Elton and based on Queen songs, finally closed in May after 12 years at the Dominion Theatre.

The giant, golden statue of the late Queen frontman Mercury, which towered over the entrance of the London theatre during its run, now stands in drummer Taylor's garden.

But Elton told Radio Times magazine that the Queen drummer whisked the statue from the West End theatre to his home while guitarist May was away.

'We Will Rock You' was seen by more than 16 million people in 28 countries - and ranks among the top 10 longest-running musicals in West End history.