Paddington’s coming home! Bear statue will be returned to town that ‘loves him so dearly’
The statue in Newbury, Berkshire, was damaged in March by two RAF engineers
A statue of Paddington bear that was destroyed by vandals is set to be fully repaired.
Officials in Newbury, Berkshire, said the move will bring the bear: “Back to the town that loves him so dearly.”
The statue, a tribute to Paddington author Michael Bond who was born in the town, was damaged on 2 March.
Two Royal Air Force engineers, Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, both 22 and stationed at RAF Odiham, were responsible for the damage.
The pair appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court following the incident, where they admitted to breaking the statue after a night out, even making off with a piece of it.
The court, acknowledging the cultural significance of the statue to Newbury, ordered Heath and Lawrence to pay £2,725 each towards the repair costs.
They also received 12-month community orders. The restoration will see the beloved bear returned to his rightful place in the town.
Ben Beardmore-Gray, marketing manager at Newbury Business Improvement District (BID), said: “When the damage was caused, it was a bit of a shock to all of us.
“Newbury is quite a quiet town. Crime here is not particularly extreme.
“For something so visible to happen – it caught us all off guard.”
“We’ve been working very hard behind the scenes for five weeks, basically, to bring Paddington back to the town that loves him so dearly, and we’re delighted that we can announce he’s back on Wednesday.”
CCTV footage played to the court showed the men approaching the Paddington Bear statue late at night before ripping the bear off its bench and walking away with it.
District judge Sam Goozee condemned Heath and Lawrence’s actions, calling them “the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for”.
As part of the unveiling, children are being encouraged to write a letter welcoming Paddington back to the town.
The repaired and repainted statue will be unveiled in a ceremony on Wednesday at 11.30am on Northbrook Street, Newbury.