Yoko Ono's delight at unveiling John Lennon airport logo

Yoko Ono has said John Lennon would have been very proud of the decision to rename Liverpool Airport in his honour.

The murdered Beatle's widow unveiled the new logo for Liverpool John Lennon Airport, the name which will be used from the spring of next year.

The logo also carries a cartoon self-portrait of Lennon and the strapline "Above us Only Skies" - a line from his classic track Imagine.

She said: "Thank you very, very much for remembering John and for loving John. I am delighted Liverpool has decided to honour John in this way.

"John always reminded of us of the sense of fun in life. I hope the airport will send a great message to all corners of the world. As John said there is no hell below us, above us only skies."

Unveiling the new logo, she said: "It is beautiful. John would have been very proud. Thank you."

She was also presented with a scaled-down version of the 7ft 6in statue of Lennon which will be a focal point at the airport.

The half-tonne statue shows a striding Lennon in a suit and T-shirt, wearing his trademark round glasses and with his hair slicked back.

Neil Pakey, commercial director of the airport, said Paul McCartney's name had not been included in the rebranding because it was a celebration of a full lifetime.