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Doncaster Free Press trainee reporter Ruth Offord turned to her readers when she secured a place on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth.

The 21-year-old reporter will spend an hour on the 8m high and 4.4m x 1.7m plinth as part of Antony Gormley's One&Other art project running for 100 days until mid-October.

Offord used the newspaper's Twitter account ( @donnyfreepress ) to source ideas from readers for what she should do during her turn on the plinth next Friday (September 18).

Some users' ideas didn't make the cut: "A few suggested reading out the news headlines, but it's not very visual and I felt most of the time people on the floor would not be able to hear me. Others suggested taking photos or doing a workout video," Offord told Journalism.co.uk.

A suggestion from a follower in Glasgow for a 'Party on the Plinth' - a children's birthday party, complete with cake and party games - won.

"A friend and I will be giving out invitations across the square before the hour, then once on the plinth we'll be giving out party bags and playing party games with the crowds: pass the parcel and musical statues," said Offord.

"We also have a cake to give out slices to passers-by who will hopefully join in the games."

Offord is not concerned about making a particular stance while occupying the plinth other than to have fun: "I want to make sure I make the most out of my time while I'm on there. I don't want to regret not trying something and just sitting there.

"If you're going to be part of a project like this I think you have to try an outlandish idea to make it worthwhile."

Nonetheless she will be plugging her employer: local business Bite - where the staff buys their lunches -  has agreed to make a 'Free Press' cake.

"We've also delved out some Free Press-related goodies to give out on the day. We're hoping to take some papers with us as the latest edition is out the day before," she said.

"All the prizes for pass the parcel will be [wrapped] in the Free Press paper too. Mainly I'll decorate the plinth with Free Press logos, as well as mentioning the website of course."

Offord's latest call to readers is a plea for a megaphone .

: Photography Is Not-A-Crime.com: images from the fourth plinth

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Written by
Judith Townend

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