Hampshire: Giant decorative hares to be auctioned for charity

Actress Sarah Parish who spearheaded the campaign said it was the biggest project ever undertaken by the charity

Statues of giant decorative hares which were dotted around two cities are being rounded up before being auctioned off to raise funds for children's emergency care.

The 31 hares, on show in Winchester and Southampton, were designed by artists from across Hampshire.

Actress Sarah Parish, from the Murray Parish Trust, said it was the biggest project the trust had ever undertaken.

Money raised will be donated to Southampton Children's Hospital.

The art installation was the brainchild of the trust, set up by Parish and fellow actor Jim Murray.

Hares of Hampshire have been on view for the past 10 weeks and will now be auctioned off to the public.

The concept is similar to an art trail of Gromit sculptures which raised £3.8m for the Bristol Children's Hospital Charity in 2014.

A later trail saw giant sculptures of Shaun the Sheep invade the city in 2015.

The giant hare at Winchester Cathedral is among 31 created by local artists to be auctioned to raise funds for children