Town's 'beloved' statue disappears from plinth

The "Child in the Park" statue has been a "loved and admired" feature at Lake Meadows, in Billericay, for more than 20 years

A search has begun for a town's "much loved" statue of a child after it disappeared from its plinth in a public garden.

The "Child in the Park" - a figure of a crouching child surrounded by creatures and plants - was taken from Lake Meadows in Billericay, between Sunday evening and Monday morning, Essex Police said.

In a post on Facebook, Conservative councillor Andrew Schrader said it was "a much loved and admired feature of the park for an entire generation of Billericians, particularly the children who visit the little garden".

He described the theft as an "outrage", and appealed for the thieves to "grow a conscience" and return it.

The statue is thought to have been taken from its plinth on Sunday evening

Police said "entry was forced to a set of park gates and the statue removed without permission" between 20:00 BST on Sunday and 07:00 on Monday.

It said the statue was worth "a reported five-figure sum".

House-to-house and CCTV inquiries were being carried out and it asked anyone with information or footage to come forward.

Friends of Lake Meadows Billericay said the statue was created by "renowned Essex sculpture John Doubleday" for 2000

Mr Schrader said the statue had been stolen before, but had been returned.

He hoped people in Billericay would be able to "continue to enjoy" a "beloved piece of public art".

Anyone with information is asked to call Essex Police on 101.