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The answer - a polar bear, or, more accurately 2nd year SAC PhD student Rose Hanley-Nickolls dressed as one.  She had won her hour on the empty plinth in a project devised by artist Anthony Gormley. In the lead up to the Copenhagen summit she chose to highlight climate change.

Over 340,000 people had entered the draw for only 2,400 spots.  Rose was on top from 8-9.00 pm on an October Monday evening, having walked through London in her polar bear outfit. She even met Anthony Gormley. He was there to cheer on his godson’s wife who had the slot before Rose.

“Being on the plinth was very surreal” said Rose. “It’s a lot higher up than you realise! The lights were really bright, so I couldn’t really see people below it.  Because it was so high above the traffic I couldn’t hear what the friends supporting me were yelling - but perhaps that was for the best!”

Rose spent a lot of her time at the top on the phone to her mum, giving her energy saving tips. Then, when a Russian spectator bought everyone ice creams, they tried to throw one to her.  Unfortunately Rose is not the best of catchers so one landed over the other side of the plinth on the heads of a couple kissing below.  Further evidence that polar bears are losing their ice?