Radio 1 DJ Greg James unveils statue to York University duck Long Boi

Hundreds of people have attended a memorial service and statue unveiling for a duck which assumed celebrity status because of its unusual size.

The bird - christened Long Boi because of its strikingly long neck - became a favourite among students at the York University campus, where he lived.

He was regularly photographed for social media. An instagram account dedicated to sightings of the duck has almost 60,000 followers.

Long Boi went missing, presumed dead, in March 2023, prompting a campaign to have him memorialised.

BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James, who became the duck's most famous fan and regularly talked about him on his breakfast show, organised a service in an auditorium usually reserved for university graduations and other ceremonies.

A choir sang a specially-commissioned tribute song and there was a minute of quacking after the bronze sculpture was unveiled.

The event was broadcast live on the radio station on Thursday morning.

Wearing a mourning veil and lace gloves, James told the audience: "There are hundreds of people here in person to remember and to celebrate him.

"Some people might not get why we're doing this today. They might wonder why everyone put in so much time and effort to something that looks silly. But silly things are important. Silly things get us through the day and silliness brings us together."

Standing at around 70cm tall, Long Boi was cross between a mallard and an Indian runner.

His fame spiralled after a Reddit post incorrectly described him as "the tallest mallard duck to have ever lived". Appearances on US television and BBC Radio 1 followed.

Sculptor Neil Mason told Radio 1: "I tried to capture his essence. The realisation of how big this is has dawned on me fully."