Brief encounter for statue in Water of Leith

22 June 2019, 11:45 | Updated: 22 June 2019, 12:09

An Antony Gormley sculpture of a man standing in a river has been dressed in pants by a mystery passer-by.

People walking along the Water of Leith in Edinburgh were surprised to see the statue sporting a pair of "bawbags" briefs on Saturday.

The sculpture is part of the artwork 6 Times, which comprises six life-size figures positioned between the grounds of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the sea at Leith Docks in Edinburgh.

The artwork, originally installed in 2010, was fully reinstalled in May after some of the sculptures were removed following problems in 2012.

Speaking in May, Mr Gormley said: "It was a privilege to make these works for Edinburgh and now they are coming back to stay - I'm delighted."

The figures are casts of the Turner Prize winning artist's body.

Simon Groom, director of modern and contemporary art at the National Galleries of Scotland, said at the time that they were thrilled to be reinstalling the artwork.

He said: "We are extremely grateful to Antony, his studio, Edinburgh City Council and everyone else who has played such an active part in ensuring the success of the project.

"This is a meditative and reflective work, which brings art out into the wider community along Edinburgh's beautiful Water of Leith."

The pants are thought to have been put on the sculpture as a practical joke.

It is not the first time a Gormley sculpture has been dressed up.

On Christmas Eve last year, a group of pranksters scaled the Angel of the North outside Gateshead and placed a giant Santa hat on its head.