Overview
- A local artist known as DLR placed a large Walnut Whip model on the Queen Victoria bronze statue in Warrior Square in St Leonards-on-Sea over the bank holiday weekend.
- DLR told reporters the prop is polystyrene and said he enjoyed watching people smile and take photos, while a local outlet described the installation as a metal version creating a material discrepancy.
- Residents and a local photographer reacted with amusement and widespread photo-sharing, and no damage or official removal has been reported so far.
- Reporters pointed to a precedent in Mount Gambier, Australia, where decorative additions damaged public artwork and led to repair costs and possible legal action, highlighting the practical stakes of the material question.
- The statue has a long local tradition of being dressed or topped for fun, with traffic cones, sunglasses and previous Walnut Whip placements shaping how residents view the prank.