BOB MARLEY MAY HAVE DECEIVED POLICE DURING DRUG ARESTING, ENGLISH HERITAGE DISCOVERES WHOLE DETAILS

Bob Marley may have lied to the police about his address after the seizure of a cannabis possession, the English Heritage has discovered, while trying to find a suitable location for his blue cover.

Funding was difficult to verify Marley's London residence because it did not appear on the polls or phone records. But the court case made a surprising point.

The reggae singer emigrated to the UK in 1976 and lived in Chelsea on Oakley Street 42 with his partner the Wailers band, where the statue now appears.

But in March 1977, Marley was arrested for possession of marijuana and gave his address as the 27 Gardens of Collingham, Kensington - where his supporting singers were staying - with the clear intention of preventing police from searching Oakley Street for drugs.

He was found outside when the man he had been arrested with, bassist Aston Barrett, gave up his residence as Oakley Street.

Marley was found guilty of possession and fined £ 50.

While I was in London, Marley and the Wailers finished recording their Exodus album, which featured some of his biggest hits, including 'Jamming', 'Three Birds' and 'One Love'.

The Jamaican said he considers London to be the second base, often playing with his teammates at a stadium near Battersea Park.

Yesterday, during the unveiling of the cover, poet, writer and actor Benjamin Zefaniya, said: "It is very difficult to say what Bob Marley would say about this cover, but at one point he said," Get yourself, you will live in freedom, live for others, and you will live again. 'So I'm pretty sure he would say that this is for his people and his music.

Blue Plaques Panel member, David Olusoga, said: "Bob Marley is the first superstitious to emerge from the developing world. In addition to being a good musician, he grew up a cultural icon who entertained the choice of other black artists.

Of the more than 900 blue marks in London as a whole, only 4% are dedicated to blacks and Asians.

In 2015, English Heritage, which manages more than 400 historic buildings and cultural sites across the country, set up a working group to explore the addresses of a small ethnic group.

The English legacy stated: "In this section it is explained by the small number of public names fulfilling the blue sticks and by the frequent lack - or incompetence - of historical records establishing a clear link between the interviewee and the building in which they lived.

"Marley is right, as he is not far from the common sources used to control addresses, such as election registers and telephone directory."