A giant orangutan statue worth thousands of pounds was stolen from a high-end market town - leaving locals baffled by its mystery disappearance.
The 11ft wooden figure, called Clyde, was snatched from furniture store Cotswold Grey in Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, which is the home of Bake Off judge Prue Leith.
The animal was listed at a staggering £6,800 before it was reduced to £5,440 in the sale. It was placed outside and went missing at 10.30pm on August 29.
Clyde was carved out of a teak tree trunk in Indonesia and became a popular hit with locals in the town, which is located near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, where Jeremy Clarkson and the Beckhams also reside. A Cotswold Grey spokesperson said: “Our beloved Orangutan was taken. He was last seen heading up the Batsford Road behind a dark 4x4 truck. Please share and get in touch if you have any information.”
In response, local Nicola Thompson said: “We saw this at the weekend when we were visiting Moreton in Marsh and it made us all smile. We'll keep our eyes open for it.” Judith Salt added: “Oh no. He looks fab.” Another said: “What an odd thing to steal, they’re going to struggle hiding or selling it.”
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Cotswold Grey issued an appeal earlier this week (Jam Press/Cotswold Grey)
Clyde was found 'unharmed' in a field (Jam Press/Cotswold Grey)Luckily, Clyde was found in a field nine miles away on August 30 after a search was launched in the area. A Cotswold Grey spokesperson said: “Thanks to your shares Clyde has been found abandoned in a field in Paxford. The trailer is still missing but we’re pleased to have our orangutan back.”
Its website with the orangutan for sale reads: “This is Clyde, our expertly crafted orangutan friend. He was carved from a teak tree trunk in Indonesia and has had quite the adventure making his way to us in Moreton in Marsh. This unique sculpture stands at over 10ft tall and features painted eyes, original tree roots at the base and intricate markings throughout.
“Clyde was situated outside our Moreton in Marsh store one weekend to help attract some attention during our warehouse sale. In the dead of night he was taken from us, we did not know his whereabouts for several hours which was very concerning. We later found him unharmed and looking perfectly happy in a local field which is where we took his picture for you to see here. Clyde sustained no injuries and is good as new, although we're sure he has quite a story to tell.”
A Gloucestershire Constabulary spokesperson said: “Police received a report of the theft of a wooden statue depicting an orangutan, along with the trailer it was placed on, from outside a property in High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh. The incident happened at around 10.30pm on August 29 and investigations are continuing. Anybody with information is asked to contact Gloucestershire Constabulary through the website, quoting incident 453 of August 29.”
Unfortunately, not all statues have met the same fate as Clyde. Earlier this year, an 8ft statue named Garry the Gorilla was stolen from outside a garden centre in Lanarkshire. Garry had been a local favourite for over 10 years before he was stolen in March. Andrew Scott, who owns the centre named Reynard Nursery, told BBC Scotland : "I'm really annoyed about it, I understand the funny side of it but I'm taking this very seriously, he's worth a fair bit of money. It wasn't a Young Farmers' prank, this was planned."
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