Giant ball stolen from pub hours before Euro 2024

The pub has said it will reward anyone who helps return the ball

A huge inflatable football that was put outside a Nottingham pub ahead of Euro 2024 has been stolen.

The Duke of Cambridge pub in Mapperley had been decorated from top to bottom ahead the start of the tournament.

But landlord Simon Fyfe said masked thieves stole the 11ft (3.36m) decorative ball hours before the first game kicked off on Friday.

He said the pub had paid more than £1,000 for the ball in 2020.

Mr Fyfe said: “The Duke of Cambridge is a nice community pub and we set out everything ready for the football, only for our giant inflatable ball to be cut down and stolen.

“Considering we’ve had it four years, you wouldn’t think somebody would nick something like that. It’s got no value to anyone else – I don’t get what they’re going to do with it?”

He said the ball, which had the Heineken beer logo on it, was stolen in the early hours

Mr Fyfe, who has run the Woodborough Road pub for 12 years, said CCTV shows two men sporting balaclavas steal the ball at about 01:15 BST.

They then climbed onto the roof of a wooden pergola and used a knife to cut it down before deflating it, he added.

“It’s inane to nick something like a huge ball outside a pub,” added Mr Fyfe.

“I’m hoping whoever has decided they have taken it, they will realise this is someone’s hard earned money that has been put into the pub.

“We have to pay for everything, we don’t just get things for free sadly. Hopefully word will get out there and they’ll bring my ball back.”

Mr Fyfe said he would offer a free bar and food tab for an England game for anyone who helps return the ball to the pub.

Mr Fyfe said he was "gutted" when he found the ball had been stolen