IT was a case of ready, teddy, go. The 18 entrants in a teddy bear drop discovered that what's taken up, takes much longer to come down.

The bears' owners clambered up a spiral stairway and a ladder to reach the top of St Alban's Church on Southampton's Flower Estate. Then the parachute-wearing teddies were dropped from the tower by the vicar Gary Philbrick.

The winning bear who took longest to fall was Get Well, owned by seven-year-old Jolene Orlowski. Get Well took 8.93 seconds to hit terra firma.

The event was held to raise funds for the Swaythling church which needs £45,000 to complete a major overhaul.

The building has been a landmark for 70 years and is undergoing a £400,000 scheme that includes a new community room, an improved heating system and essential repairs.