A beloved Paddington Bear statue at the heart of the character’s creator’s hometown was stolen and smashed in half. The sculpture on a public bench in Michael Bond’s town of Newbury, West Berkshire, was taken and vandalised overnight on Saturday.

Two men have been arrested after a Paddington Bear statue was damaged and stolen from a bench, police have said. The sculpture was taken from his seat in Northbrook Street, Newbury, at about 02:00 GMT Sunday morning, according to Thames Valley Police.

Residents of a Berkshire town have celebrated the return of a Paddington Bear statue after it was sliced in two and stolen overnight, police have said. The sculpture, one of a number of Paddington statues dotted across the UK,

Two men have been charged after a Paddington Bear statue was damaged and taken from a bench. The front of the sculpture was cut away and removed from its seat in Northbrook Street, Newbury, Berkshire at about 02:00 GMT on Sunday, according to Thames Valley Police. It was later recovered.

A statue of Britain’s favourite bear was smashed in half, and the broken piece was taken at around 2am on Sunday in Newbury, Berkshire. The damaged state has since been found by police, who arrested two 22-year-old men, both from Basingstoke, on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.

The police officials said they had recovered the statue and arrested two 22-year-old men, both from Basingstoke.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the theft and vandalism of a Paddington Bear statue in Newbury, Thames Valley Police confirmed. The statue, which had been placed on a bench in Northbrook Street,

In the heart of a market town, a beloved Paddington Bear statue has been at the centre of a surprising incident that has left locals both shocked and heartbroken.