There is only one authentic portrait of the writer who lived in Bath at the beginning of the 19th century, a tiny pencil and watercolour image in the National Portrait Gallery. The painting by her sister Cassandra was described as “hideously unlike” her by her nephew.

The Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street unveiled the new painting by trained police artist Melissa Dring in 2003, describing it as the most realistic likeness yet of the world-renowned novelist.

Ms Dring, who trained with the FBI, spent a year researching the author, reading her private letters and studying pictures of her family to put together the portrait.

Now she will be part of a team creating the new sculpture, in a process which will also take a year.

The sculptor will be Mark Richards while graphologist Patricia Field will be providing additional character insights using samples of Austen’s handwriting.

Centre director David Baldock said: “A full-size wax figure will certainly meet a strong demand from our visitors to get up close to Jane.”

For more details and to see a sketch of the proposed sculpture, visit http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/New-Jane-Austen-sculpture-created/story-13712756-detail/story.html?mid=518