Hull rockers The Paddingtons have a Van-ic Attack

Hull rockers The Paddingtons are no strangers to vans.

Their previous white Transit had, in their words, been “well-caned” slogging the band 40,000 miles up and down the country while touring the country, clocking up hundreds of gigs during the noughties.

Festooned with flyers and empty cider bottles it was exactly what you’d expect of a post punk DIY outfit with Top 40 hits including Panic Attack and 50 To A Pound under their belts.

The group may have split seven years ago but now they’re on a mini reunion tour – sparked by being asked to support friends The Libertines at Hull Ice Arena on Saturday, 23 September – the group are taking a step up in the four-wheeled transport department.

The band was one of the winning nominations when KCOM asked the public to vote on famous figures from the city’s history to name its fleet of 95 vans after.

The Paddingtons joined fellow musical legends from the city including the Beautiful South, The Spiders From Mars and Roland Gift to have their names emblazoned on the side of the engineers’ vans.

The six-piece took time out before their sold-out warm-up gig at Hull’s legendary Adelphi venue to meet their namesake in the club carpark.

And The Paddingtons being The Paddingtons, they weren’t content with just saying hello to their van and its engineer driver - the aptly named Paddy Wall - with guitarist Marv Hines deciding to clamber onto the roof.

Bassist Lloyd Dobbs, said: “I’ve been wanting to see this out and about on the streets. My lass keeps seeing it but I started to think it was a wind-up. It’s good though. It’s nice to be on the side of a van. We’ve officially made it!”

Guitarist Josh Hubbard, who now lives in New York, said he was excited to be getting the band back together.

He said: “We’re a family. It’s nice to be in a room together playing instruments after all these years. We don’t have any plans beyond these shows, but this thing started with one Libertines support show and now is a five-show reunion tour with new songs being thrown about.”

The Paddingtons support The Libertines at Hull Ice Arena on Saturday, 23 September. For tickets visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk