London, Aug 10 (IANS): London-based wax museum Madame Tussauds on Thursday announced that it has commissioned a statue of British Prime Minister Theresa May joining political heavyweights such as US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Released images show the first stages of the process of creating the May figure, where the head is fashioned in clay before the wax mould is formed, reports the Guardian.

"Since the controversial election result, the highly talented team at Madame Tussauds London have been working tirelessly to create a stunning likeness of the new Prime Minister," the museum said. 

"These official clay head shots created by principal sculptor Stephen Mansfield show how they have perfectly captured the likeness of the most powerful woman in British politics."

The finished figure will be unveiled later this year.

The process of creating a wax figure typically takes around three-to-four months, with a team of sculptors spending about 170 hours moulding, before hair insertors and colourists add the finishing touches.

The chosen outfit and shoe selection remains a tightly guarded secret, but the choice will be "an exact replica of one of May's expansive and headline-grabbing collection", the Guardian quoted the museum as saying.