Local 'celebrity' snatched

A heart-wrenching appeal has been made for the return of a much loved teddy bear who has been snatched from outside a florist's.

Barney, who is brown with a yellow hat and worth around £200, was taken from outside Bracken Flowers and Julie's Florist in Eton Wick Road, sometime between 6pm on Friday June 27 and 8am the following morning.

Shop owner Pam Sanders said: “Barney is something of a local celebrity he's especially popular with local children who like to come and have a cuddle with him. Unfortunately at the moment we're having to say that Barney has gone on holiday for a while.”

She added: “Barney is about the size of a small child sitting down - so he’s quite big and heavy, and not easy to steal without being noticed. So we ask anyone who knows where Barney is to please let the police know as soon as possible, or if you took him as a prank please return him.”

Anyone with information about the theft should contact Paul Regan via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or give your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.