Famous Aylesbury John Hampden statue gets unexpected makeover

It is the second time in recent months that someone has managed to put a traffic cone on top of the Aylesbury monument.

Many residents on social media have commented on just how difficult it must have been to get the cone to stick on the late politician’s statue’s head. One said: “If the person who threw that was at a fairground, they’d be walking around with a huge teddy bear.”

Another person said on Facebook: “He’s pointing to the only road that doesn’t have cones/closures In Aylesbury.”

Some felt it was disrespectful and showed a lack of understanding of the town’s history.

According to Historic England the statue was erected in 1911 to commemorate the former MP and pivotal Civil War figure.

Hampden was MP for Buckinghamshire when he was part of a group of leaders who challenged King Charles I’s rule of the country.

Earlier this year a cone was placed on top of the statue, but was quickly removed. Some residents have recalled other incidents when the statue has been tampered with, saying they have spotted the statue in Market Square with red underwear and condoms on its hands.

There was fury in Glasgow recently when a similar prank was carried out on its Duke of Wellington statue outside the city’s Gallery of Modern Art. Videos widely-shared on social media, showing the cone atop the famous landmark, drew anger from locals on Facebook and X.