Crocheted D-Day tributes stolen within hours

The three horse statues were first unveiled in 2021

A crochet group that spent six months making commemorative D-Day yarn creations have appealed for their return after they were stolen within hours of being put on show.

About 700 small purple poppies with white centres – to represent peace – were sewn on to three saddle cloths by the Barkham Hookers Charity Group.

They were tied to three life-size, iron-resin statues of horses on Saturday morning in Arborfield Green, Berkshire, but two were stolen within hours.

Gaynor White, from the group, said she had been left “upset and gobsmacked”.

Gaynor White (pictured) and another member of the group had only attached their work on Saturday morning

“I just thought, 'Why has somebody done this?'," she said.

"Somebody has spoiled it for everybody.

“Crochet itself is not hard but it’s the effort and the time, and the love we put in.”

She said the group’s members just wanted them to be returned, "no questions asked".

“I would just say, 'Please bring them back. We don’t care who you are but please bring them back and either take them into Crest Nicholson, leave them by the cafe or leave them on the horses',” she added.

The group’s commemorative pieces also include 20 postbox toppers that have been placed around Wokingham borough ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday.

Arborfield Green's three horse statues - Icarus, Sports Horse Mare and Youngster - were commissioned by Crest Nicholson property developers and designed and sculpted by Amy Goodman.

They were unveiled in 2021.

Twenty of the post box toppers have been placed around the borough