In the United Kingdom, in the town of Newbury, where the creator of the legendary character Michael Bond was born, the beloved statue of Paddington Bear, cherished by locals, was stolen and damaged.
This is reported by Independent, writes UNN.
Details
It is reported that the sculpture was stolen on the night of Saturday, March 1, and later found broken in half.
The Paddington Bear statue was unveiled in the center of Newbury in October 2024, just ahead of the release of the film "Paddington's Adventures in Peru," and it quickly became popular, especially among children. Thames Valley Police arrested two 22-year-old men on suspicion of theft and vandalism.
Inspector Alan Hockett noted that law enforcement is doing everything possible to investigate the crime and restore the statue to its rightful place.
I am glad that we managed to make two arrests and return the monument, which we will keep safe and support its restoration to its rightful place on Northbrook Street.
Initially, 23 Paddington Bear statues were installed across the country, but Newbury turned out to be the only place where one was allowed to remain permanently. Lee Dillon, a Liberal Democrat MP for Newbury, wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter:
It's painful to see that Paddington in Newbury has been vandalized. It brings so much joy to our community. Yesterday I stopped to take a photo of it with my family. This senseless destruction is so disappointing.