THE arm on the statue of King William III of Orange in Petersfield Square is hanging off.

It came adrift over the weekend, and by Sunday morning the statue, on its four metre-high plinth, was surrounded by protective barriers.

It is thought the damage may have occurred to the scheduled monument by an England flag taped to the arm since the Euros blowing in the wind and weakening the joint of limb and shoulder.

The statue, thought to have been made by sculptor John Cheere or his brother Henry, is the responsibility of Hampshire County Council.

Petersfield Town Council spokesman Steve Field said: "The council is aware of the situation and information has been passed to Hampshire County Council."

East Hampshire District Council is responsible for The Square and it is understood it was its operatives who put up the barriers around the statue of ’King Billy.’

The statue was moved to The Square from the Jolliffe house in St Peter’s Road in 1812.

Hampshire County Council was unable to give the Post a comment before we went to press.