Paddington bear stolen from Newbury in Berkshire, now recovered - March 2025

[whole diary]

[stuving]

i recall many years ago that "a" two foot high cloth Paddington bear was removed from a flimsy plastic wrap around case on the course at Paddington station.

It turned out to be two students from one of the country's across the pond who had removed the bear.

Not sure if any one can actually recall when this "removal" occurred.

28th August 1992. I'd say you've done pretty well at remembering that, though as usual some of the facts have evolved a bit in storage. (Obviously I'm not relying on my memory for this!) From reports in several papers, the bear was three feet high, was in a glass dome (or case) and had been there for 25 (or 12) years, five youths were seen outside Paddington with Paddington and arrested, and two Canadians were charged with criminal damage next day.

[infoman]

Strange how time plays tricks with your memory,
I do recall it was Canadians although I didn't say on my original posting I was trying to be P.C.

Although i thought it was wrapped around in a flimsy plastic container

[TaplowGreen]

The stuffed dog at Slough station used to disappear occasionally if memory serves (not guilty I should add!!!)

[IndustryInsider]

The stuffed dog at Slough station used to disappear occasionally if memory serves (not guilty I should add!!!)

It looked like you'd need bio-hazard PPE^▸ (Personal Protective Equipment - safety wear) to handle that thing safely!

[grahame]

The stuffed dog at Slough station used to disappear occasionally if memory serves (not guilty I should add!!!)

It looked like you'd need bio-hazard PPE^▸ (Personal Protective Equipment - safety wear) to handle that thing safely!

We find that dogs need to pop outside for the call of nature occasionally (usually at 3 a.m.)

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Vandalised Paddington statue to return



A Paddington statue that was ripped from a bench by two RAF^▸ (Royal Air Force) engineers is to be reinstalled.

The homage to the famous bear has been repaired and repainted and will be unveiled during a ceremony in Newbury, Berkshire, on Wednesday.

Part of the statue was removed and taken in the early hours of 2 March by Daniel Heath, from Thornton, near Bradford in West Yorkshire, and William Lawrence, from Enderby, Leicestershire.  The pair, both 22 and based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, admitted criminal damage and were ordered to carry out unpaid work as well as pay £2,725 to cover the cost of repairs.

The statue was originally unveiled in the hometown of Paddington creator Michael Bond in October 2024.  It was one of dozens put up across the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) as part of the Paddington Visits trail to celebrate the film, Paddington in Peru.

The repaired bear will be unveiled by Ian Batho and Ashley Morris from Newbury Business Improvement District (BID).

Ben Beardmore-Gray, marketing manager at Newbury BID, said: "We have received so many lovely messages from parents who wanted to share how much their children have been missing Paddington... we are delighted to announce that Paddington is finally ready for his much-anticipated return to Newbury.  The reinstallation offers a unique opportunity for us to provide a special moment that parents can share with their children, so we'd like to invite any families along on the day to join us welcoming Paddington home."

As part of the unveiling, children are being encouraged to write a letter welcoming Paddington back to Newbury.  They can be delivered to a special postbox next to his bench between 10:00 and 14:00 BST on Wednesday.

The unveiling ceremony will begin on Northbrook Street at 11:30.