BEARS are set to invade the rink when Swindon Wildcats take on the Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday but it’s all perfectly safe.

Fans are being encouraged to buy teddies to hurl onto the ice when the Wildcats score their first goal. The cuddly characters will then be collected and donated to children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Commercial manager Sally Price said: "This is a huge tradition for ice hockey all around the world but it gives us the opportunity to give something back to the vulnerable children of Swindon."

Anyone wanting to take part needs to put a new teddy, no taller than 12 inches and with a CE label, in a clear plastic bag with the top closed to protect it from the ice.

If the Wildcats don't score a goal within the 60-minute game, teddies will be thrown on the final buzzer.

The match at the Link Centre starts at 6.15pm.