Fears park's missing statue 'might not be found'

The plinth the statue previously sat on has sat empty since it was taken

A charity said it fears a statue might never be returned to its home after it was stolen for a second time.

Charles Novis from Friends of Lake Meadows said the disappearance of "The Child in the Park" sculpture at the park in Billericay between Sunday evening and Monday morning was "devastating".

Mr Novis said the artwork had been stolen once before, on Valentine's Day in 2017, but that it was found three months later in a garden in Brentwood.

He said: "We were very surprised last time and I think myself and many, many more people would be delighted if the perpetrator of the crime would rethink and leave it as they did last time."

According to Mr Novis, the sculpture is worth "tens of thousands of pounds".

It was installed in 2000 to commemorate the start of the new millennium.

The sculpture was installed to mark the start of the millennium in 2000

"We often have mums who were involved in the project at school bringing their children along and explaining how they were involved," Mr Novis added.

Andy Barnes, who represents Billericay East on Basildon Borough Council, said the statue had been "very securely in place" before it was taken.

"If we are lucky enough to get it back… we will see what steps we can take to make sure it is even more secure than it was before," he told BBC Essex.

Essex Police said officers were investigating.