Two men were arrested in England after allegedly destroying a beloved Paddington Bear statue, authorities said.
On Monday, March 3, Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both 22, were each charged with one count of criminal damage, according to a press release shared by Thames Valley Police.
Police alleged the men cut and stole the front part of the statue of the popular children’s book character from Northbrook Street in Newbury, England, around 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 2.
The theft left the hollow backside of the statue behind on the bench.
Both men were released on conditional bail and are expected to appear in Reading Magistrates’ Court on March 25, per the release.
The statue of the Peruvian bear, who was seated on a bench holding a marmalade sandwich, was unveiled in Newbury in October 2024 to honor British author Michael Bond’s hometown, according to the BBC.
Paddington Bear has been adapted into a British television series and three films, including its most recent Paddington in Peru, which was released in U.S. theaters in January.
