Prankster strikes again on bridge

A POSTBOX has appeared on the side of Sonning Bridge for a second time.

The red letterbox was installed on a buttress on the downstream side of Sonning Bridge, which crosses the River Thames.

The bridge is Grade II listed and so any alterations should be agreed with Wokingham Borough Council, the planning authority.

The prank is the latest in a series performed by an artist calling himself Impro.

He first installed a postbox on the bridge in 2013, which made international headlines and sparked the interest of illusionist Uri Geller, who used to live in Sonning.

This was then replaced by a sign warning boat drivers of the risks of skidding. Then in 2016 a black door, along with floating doormat underneath it, popped up overnight.

The door had a letterbox, knocker and keyhole and resembled that of 10 Downing Street, which at the time was home of Prime Minister and Sonning resident Theresa May.

In June last year an old-fashioned dial-up telephone appeared on the bridge and above it was a sign which read “Emergency Flood Line”.

In response, the borough council posted on Facebook: “If you ever have flooding concerns call Floodline (no, not on that phone)”.

The artist has also set up installations on the Reading Road roundabout at Playhatch, including a giant Google Maps-style “pin” in 2014, which was followed months later by an empty tent and clothes line.

In 2016 a pair of mannequin legs with white socks disappearing into a toilet bowl appeared in the same spot. This was followed by a rocket and a giant humbug sweet, both in 2019, and a London underground station sign and Santa, who appeared to have crash landed, last year.