A new statue has appeared in Bristol city centre - but mystery surrounds it.
The new sculpture on Jacob's Wells Road, in Brandon Hill, shows a person wearing a hoodie with the hood up while holding their head in their hands.
It is not possible to see the person's face, but their posture seems to express unhappiness or even distress - explaining why they are being comforted by a teddy bear.
The sculpture - which is being kept in place by a metal chain and padlock - appeared overnight and many seem to think it marks World Suicide Prevention Day, which is today (Thursday, September 10).
Located towards the top of Jacob's Wells Road and close to the Triangle, the piece has been placed in a nook overlooking the road by the bridge linking Upper Berkeley Close to West End car park.
The sculpture has already attracted the attention of many passers-by - with many stopping and taking a picture - and speculation has started on social media as to who the artist is.
One theory is that the sculpture is the latest piece by an artist whose works have appeared across Bristol in the past few years.
Back in 2018, a statue of an elderly lady holding her handbag and a hammer was put up in front of Age UK's offices in Victoria Street.
The 10-foot tall statue, which depicted an old woman with a hammer in her right hand, was also put up overnight and in time for the busy morning commute.
Nicknamed Rebel Ruth, the elderly lady had the words OAP written in the front, and the name Ruth scrawled on the back.
The artist is also believed to be behind a number of angels that popped up around the city a couple of years ago, including one outside the BRI hospital and in the Bearpit, when they said their aim was to “foster a different attitude”.
According to the latest data released by the NHS, the South West has the second-highest suicide rate among men in the nine English regions, with 19.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2019 against 16.7 for England as a whole.
The suicide rate among females in the South West was little over a quarter of that level, with 4.9 per 100,00 in 2019 against 5.2 for England as a whole.
The latest figures from the Office National Statistics (ONS) reports 5,316 suicides were registered in 2019, 295 more than in 2018 when there were 5,021 deaths.
