Overview
- The bench that holds a Paddington Bear statue in Guildhall Square, Southampton was destroyed, and Hampshire police said they are investigating to identify suspects.
- A local café, Mettricks, brought the statue inside for the night, and Go! Southampton later moved it to their office for safekeeping.
- A Mettricks manager reported that one person smashed the bench while another filmed the act, describing the offender as aggressive.
- Go! Southampton, which cares for the artwork, said the statue is unharmed and that it is arranging bench repairs and a new location for the figure near the city centre.
- The piece is one of 23 statues installed in October 2024 to mark the Paddington in Peru film, and a similar attack in Newbury in 2025 led to criminal damage convictions and repair costs for two RAF engineers.