Daffodils planted by schoolchildren and a Saints legend to brighten up their community were torn up by an electricity company - sparking anger.

County councillor Alan Dowden was less than impressed that his brainchild along Botley Road in North Baddesley was 'destroyed' by SSE as workers installed new utilities.

While the energy company has vowed to replace them, Cllr Dowden said: "It’s annoying and upsetting for me, the local residents and the children.

“This was something the children were proud of, something they brought parents and grandparents to look at as an achievement.

“It’s annoying to to see this electric company going through and destroying what was a beautiful display.”

Matt Le Tissier was involved in the bulb planting back in 2017.Southampton FC hero Matt Le Tissier was involved in the bulb planting back in 2017.

Southampton FC hero Matt Le Tissier and schoolchildren from North Baddesley Infant and Junior schools planted 4,000 jetfire daffodil bulbs in 2017.

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In October 2024, SSE began carrying out works in North Baddesley to improve its service.

Locals tipped off Cllr Dowden and his colleagues to the situation as they claimed it was putting drivers at risk - and upon arrival they discovered the torn up flower beds.

SSE’s agreement with Hampshire County Council means that they do not require to give individual councillors prior warning when essential works need to take place.

According to an email from a member of the county council Highways department, seen by the Echo, SSE claimed that due to 'numerous existing services' in the vicinity, there was 'no safe space to add additional infrastructure anywhere but in the patch'.

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Since the incident happened, SSE told the county council it would replace the bulbs and would also add the significance of the flower bed to its systems to stop this happening again.

Cllr Dowden, a former Test Valley mayor, has run bulb planting events yearly for over 20 years, planting well over 32,000 flowers in the process.

“We used to have a lot of vandalism, now we get very little at all,” Cllr Dowden said.

“Planting bulbs over the years gets children to respect their local environment and appreciate it, even when they grow up."

A spokesperson from SSE said: “It is always our role and intention to fully reinstate any grounds, pathways or roads where any works have taken place, so there is no negative impact to the environment or community.”