A Statue to commemorate the Women of World War Two could be put up close to the Cenotaph in London within two years.

Whitehall officials have confirmed the Government's commitment to site the monument outside the Ministry of Defence.

Major David Robertson has led the York-based campaign for Britain's war women to be properly honoured.

He met senior officials from English Heritage, the Department of Culture, MoD and Westminster City Council earlier this week.

Afterwards he said: "I'm absolutely convinced we have got the site, subject to agreement on design, planning permission and so forth.

"The only discussion on the table was the Whitehall site. Nobody deferred at all."

Major Robertson discussed the design, location and his two-year timescale for the statue to be put up.

The Evening Press revealed in May that Culture Secretary Chris Smith and Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone wanted the monument to be outside the MoD.

The Queen has said she would like to unveil the statue and former Speaker Betty Boothroyd is continuing as the campaign's patron.

The current plan is to replace the small statue of Sir Walter Raleigh in front of the MoD with the monument for the Women of World War Two.

More than 640,000 women served in the armed forces, 56,000 with the Guns providing critical air defence, and thousands more in the Land Army maintaining food supplies.

Others worked behind enemy lines sending back crucial intelligence and organising resistance.

Major Robertson inspected the MoD site with Ian Tolliday, masonry manager of Rattee & Kett which is offering free advice and design of the statue's base. The campaign has already raised £100,000 for the monument and three artists have been shortlisted to design it.