BENCHES on Winchester High Street have been removed for maintenance.

The seating that can usually be found along the street has recently been removed, leaving many of the locals questioning what has happened to them.

In a social media post on January 13, Winchester City Council said: “You may have seen our maintenance team working on the benches in the high street this week.

“It's all part of a repair or replace programme, so please bear with us while this work is underway as there may be a reduction in seating for a short time as the work takes place, but all seating will be replaced as soon as possible.”

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The ‘repair or replace’ program was started by the council last week, with £30,000 being allocated for the refurbishment of all the benches in the city centre.

A city council spokesman said: “The overall plan is to get all the benches back to what they were like when they were newly installed – it’s part of a wider scheme to improve the streetscape across the district.

“Later in the spring, benches are set to be renewed in The Broadway, Jewry Street, Middle Brook Street and St George's Street.”