Bonfire Night: Sepp Blatter to be burned during Edenbridge Guy Fawkes celebrations in Kent

An effigy of Sepp Blatter will be burned during an annual Bonfire Night celebration in Kent. The suspended Fifa president was chosen from a list of 16 celebrities, including David Cameron, Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon.

Blatter secured a majority with 36.8% of the vote, coming out ahead of Ukip leader Nigel Farage, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, and even Russia's Vladimir Putin. Teen pop icons Zayn Malik and Justin Bieber were also on the list of nominees.

"Blatter was the obvious choice really," said Charles Laver, coordinator for the Edenbridge Bonfire Society, which is hosting the event.

"We did put some thought into who else it could be, but he was in the news at the time the decision was made so we went for him. We started building it two weeks ago, and we are pleased with the result."

The model of Blatter is 36ft tall and depicts the outgoing Fifa president carrying a football in one hand, the World Cup trophy in the other and with a box of money under his arm. Many people are expected to attend the Bonfire Night celebrations to watch Blatter go up in flames on 7 November.

The decision garnered praise from users of social media. Adam Nicholls commented on Facebook that he could not believe Blatter had beaten David Cameron, while Cheryl Williams said Blatter was the perfect choice.

The Edenbridge Society has become famous for its annual burning of a number of high-profile politicians and celebrities on Bonfire Night. Tony Blair, Katie Hopkins and Wayne Rooney have also been victims, alongside the burning of the traditional figure of Guy Fawkes.

Sepp Blatter caused controversy earlier in the year after allegations of corruption within Fifa emerged. He has been suspended from all football-related activity for 90 days while Swiss authorities conduct a criminal investigation into the organisation.

Blatter has also been accused of criminal mismanagement after allegedly assigning World Cup television rights to a disgraced former executive, Jack Warner, who wasbanned for life from football-related activities in September.