Two Men Charged After Paddington Bear Statue Theft and Damage

Okay, so something happened in Newbury. Someone damaged and stole the Paddington Bear statue. It was on a bench in Northbrook Street. This happened early Sunday morning, around 2 AM. Police found the statue later that day. They said Paddington was going to the police station. He needed a marmalade sandwich!

Two guys, both 22, got arrested. They are suspected of theft and criminal damage. Daniel Heath and William Lawrence face charges now; they are charged with criminal damage. They got released on bail with conditions. They must appear in court on March 25th.

People in Newbury are quite upset. Michael Bond, Paddington’s creator, lived there. The statue was a popular tourist spot. It had been there since October, as part of a Paddington trail. There were 23 statues across the UK to promote the new movie, Paddington in Peru.

Police put a pink tent around Paddington’s bench while they investigated. An officer said they did everything possible to find Paddington. They wanted to catch the people responsible, and they’ll keep it safe and help get it fixed.

Folks in Newbury felt dismayed about the theft. One person saw the damaged statue Sunday morning and said it made many people happy. People shared pictures online with Paddington, and one person said it was a “little ray of sunshine.”

Another person felt sad about it, since Newbury is where the author, Michael Bond, lived. Someone commented it was awful to damage the statue. A business group brought Paddington to Newbury, working with a film company. The group are shocked and heartbroken by it all, calling it a senseless act, but they feel the community spirit is strong.