Rotherham boy receives hundreds of stones to replace lockdown snake

Stanley Briggs with one of the painted stones from his new snake

A boy whose lockdown stone snake was stolen overnight has had nearly 300 stones given to him to make a new one.

Stanley Briggs wanted a pet snake so much, his mum suggested he make one on the front wall at their house near Rotherham.

Emma Rose said one morning the family was "shocked" to see the snake of 79 stones had been stolen.

She vented her anger on Facebook and now Stanley has had 270 decorated stones given to him for a new one.

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Stanley's new stone snake decorates his front wall and path at his home in the village of Ravenfield near Rotherham

Ms Rose said every morning four-year-old Stanley looked out of the window of their house in Ravenfield to see if the snake had moved, but one morning they were shocked to find it had totally disappeared.

"At first we thought it was a joke and someone had moved it, but the stones still haven't turned up," she said.

"They were clearly painted by children - what someone would want with these rocks I have no idea."

She said things went "mad" after she wrote on Facebook to tell friends and family what had happened.

"People have got so behind Stanley's idea," she said. "They're flocking to give him more.

"We went from having 79 in a week to 270 in a day. I thought, that'll show whoever stole them."

So far, artist Joe Scarborough and MP John Healey have added decorated stones to the snake, a woman from the village who painted a stone 10 years ago has donated hers, and a local skip company donated a truck load of rocks.

"Stanley's even been sent a piece of coral from Hawaii and a lady in Australia sent him a video showing a real snake in her garden," Ms Rose said.

Stanley's first snake, of just 79 stones disappeared from his wall overnight

Many people want the stones to be made a permanent feature of the village, eventually cemented as a reminder of lockdown.

Ms Rose said any money donated for the stone snake will be given to Rotherham Hospital.

Stanley's mum said his mission was to make the snake reach the end of the street