Southampton locals and visitors gave their reaction to the incident.
Ellie Lewis, a performer on cruise ships, said: “Paddington is a really prominent character, especially with UK culture.
“I think it’s really important, especially in somewhere like Southampton, which is visited quite often by guests coming off of cruise ships, to see him out here.”
“Why would you attack an inanimate object? It just seems redundant,” Ewan Watts said.
Meanwhile, Mercy Ageitu said she felt “sad” that Paddington is no longer on his bench.
“I think the person who did it, that is not good. We can’t wait to have it back again,” she said.