By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2025-03-03 23:35:06 | Updated at 2025-03-04 05:05:31
5 hours ago
Two men in England were arrested Monday for destroying a Paddington Bear statue in the hometown of the series’ author, horrifically slicing the beloved children’s book character in half and taking off with his front half.
The fiberglass statue depicting the eponymous Peruvian bear eating one of his signature marmalade sandwiches was cut open to expose his hollow white interior with his backside still attached to a public bench.
Two 22-year-old men, Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, were arrested and charged with one count of criminal damage each, according to Thames Valley police.
The duo allegedly wrecked the statue of the blue coat-wearing bear around 2 a.m. on Sunday and stole the bear’s front side — which was quickly recovered by police.
The Paddington statue was installed in Newbury, West Berkshire in October, according to the West Berkshire Council.
It was one of 23 statues erected across the country as part of a tour celebrating the release of “Paddington in Peru,” the third film in the award-winning franchise. However, the Newbury statue was the only one approved as a permanent installation to honor the series’ creator Michael Bond, who was born and raised in the town.
“Paddington” fans are mourning the loss of their short-lived statue by leaving jars of marmalade near its dismembered remains in a makeshift vigil, according to The Reading Chronicle, a United Kingdom outlet based in Berkshire and Reading.
in honor of the bear. Lee Dillon/X
Community members also erected a tent to hide the carnage.
“Heartbreaking to see that #Paddington in #Newbury has been vandalised. He brings so much joy to our community. Just yesterday, I stopped to take a photo of him with my family. This senseless damage is so disappointing,” Lee Dillon, a Liberal Democrat member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom representing Newbury, wrote on X.
Both Heath and Lawrence have been released on conditional bail and will appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on March 25.
The front half of the Paddington statue was sent back to its creators to be refurbished and, hopefully, reinstalled in the future.
