A statute of the beloved cartoon character Paddington Bear, located in the home town of its creator, has been stolen and smashed in half, according to a report in BBC. The sculpture of the Peruvian bear, sitting on a public bench with a marmalade sandwich in his hand was placed in Michael Bond’s town of Newbury, West Berkshire in October last year.
The incident took place on Sunday (Mar 2) with images from the crime scene showing the statue sliced in half by vandals who had taken away the front section.
“Heartbreaking to see that #Paddington in #Newbury has been vandalised. He brings so much joy to our community. Just yesterday, I stopped to take a photo of him with my family. This senseless damage is so disappointing,” Lee Dillon, Liberal Democrat MP for Newbury, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Heartbreaking to see that #Paddington in #Newbury has been vandalised. He brings so much joy to our community. Just yesterday, I stopped to take a photo of him with my family. This senseless damage is so disappointing. #Newbury pic.twitter.com/sfT2ErRsNW
— Lee Dillon, MP for Newbury 🔶 (@LeeRJdillon) March 2, 2025
Statue recovered
By Sunday evening, the police officials said they had recovered the statue and arrested two 22-year-old men, both from Basingstoke, on suspicion of theft and criminal damage. They remain in police custody.
Police added that the Paddington Bear was “heading to Newbury police station for a much-needed marmalade sandwich”.
“The Paddington Bear statue is a beloved part of Newbury so we have been doing everything we can to locate it and the offenders,” said Investigating Officer Inspector Alan Hawkett.
“I am delighted we have made two arrests and recovered the statue, which we will keep safe and support its restoration to its rightful place in Northbrook Street. In the meantime, Paddington is heading to Newbury police station for a much-needed marmalade sandwich.
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“Thank you to everyone who has supported our investigation so far and shared their memories of the statue with us.”
Local residents took to social media to express their delight as the bear was recovered. The bear is one of the most beloved British fictional characters. It appeared with Queen Elizabeth II in a pre-recorded comedy segment for the Platinum Party in 2022.
