Michelin's missing windows – the Australian connection

Michelin has been searching for months for the original stained glass windows fitted to its former UK headquarters at Michelin House in London, now partly occupied by Sir Terence Conran's Bibendum restaurant (see http://ind.pn/cp4zaD)

The windows, which depict Bibendum (or the Michelin Man as he is better known in English-speaking countries) and the company's tyres, were moved to Stoke-on-Trent at the outbreak of the Second World War and haven't been seen since. The current stained glass windows at Michelin House are copies of the originals.

Last year, Michelin opened a confidential amnesty hotline in the hope of finding new leads in the search for the missing windows. It is now thought that they may have ended up at a waste facility in Stoke after being inadvertently disposed of but there are also strong indications that an ex-employee may have spirited them off to Australia, where they are rumoured to form part of the décor at an outback bar or business. Michelin has now released some mocked-up photographs, above, showing how the distinctive windows might look in their new location and is intensifying the down-under search effort.

In the meantime the company welcomes any further information about the possible fate of the windows on the amnesty hotline (01782 402118).