[bbfan1991]

A woman from Yorkshire has openly declared her love for the "stunning" Statue of Liberty.

Amanda Whittaker - who hails from Leeds - has a condition called objectum sexuality, where people fall in love with inanimate objects.

Whittaker, who also had a relationship with a drum kit while at school, told The Sun: "She is my long-distance lover and I am blown away by how stunning she is".

The 27-year-old shop assistant has named the famous statue 'Libby', and has built a shrine in her home including a six-foot replica and hundreds of other ornaments.

Whittaker has also visited the location in person on four occasions, where she caressed it and kissed its hair.

She added that she has decided against marrying the landmark "because so many others love her too".

"Other people might be shocked to think I can have romantic feelings for an object, but I am not the same as them," she explained.

In 2010, The Music Theatre Company staged a musical titled Erika's Wall, which told the story of Erika Eiffel's relationship with the Berlin Wall.