A man fell from a 15-foot tall Robert Burns statue in Edinburgh early Thursday morning while trying to place a traffic cone on the poet's head, in what a witness described as a "very nearly fatal" accident.
The incident occurred around 2am on Leith, where two men attempted to balance a cone on the statue. One lost his balance and plunged to the pavement.
Witness Accounts
Duncan Robertson, who filmed the incident, told Edinburgh Live he was "concerned" by what he saw. He said: "I'm a sculptor, and I am quite concerned about how this trend in copycat of the Wellington Statue in Glasgow can potentially damage sculptures."
Robertson explained that bronze is a soft metal protected only by its patina, and damage could lead to corrosion. He added: "This statue of Robert Burns is a very special original example by the sculptor, William Grant Stevenson RSA. Once damaged that can never be replaced."
Safety Warnings
The traffic cone tradition is most associated with the Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow, where it has been seen since the 1980s. However, after Scotland fans placed cones on statues in Boston during World Cup celebrations, the practice has spread to Edinburgh.
Edinburgh's transport and environment convener, Stephen Jenkinson, warned against imitations, saying: "Whilst I'm sure these have been put up in good humour and with the best intentions, we need to consider the safety of the public above all." He added: "I think we can all agree that there is only one statue in Scotland that has truly immortalised the cone."
