Death Star Petition On White House Website

Thousands of Americans have signed a petition calling on the White House to build a Death Star.

The founder of the campaign says construction of the moon-sized space station and inter-stellar weapon from the Star Wars film series will strengthen national security and create jobs.

And US officials will be forced to consider replicating the Death Star - complete with a laser capable of destroying a planet - if the petition gains more than 25,000 digital signatures by December 14.

Started by a John D, from Longmont, Colorado, the petition on the White House website demands work should begin on the project within the next four years.

It reads: "Those who sign here petition the United States government to secure funding and resources, and begin construction on a Death Star by 2016.

"By focusing our defence resources into a space-superiority platform and weapon system such as a Death Star, the government can spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration, and more, and strengthen our national defence."

Among more than 3,500 signatories to the petition at the time of writing were at least four people giving the name 'Darth V', and one called 'Boba F'.

It is not the first time a government body has faced pressure from a Star Wars-related campaign.

More than 400,000 Britons stated their religion as Jedi on their 2001 Census forms, in a failed attempt to have it recognised as an official religion.