Northbrook Street’s Paddington Bear wrecked and stolen

In the early hours of Sunday 2nd March, Newbury’s much-loved Paddington statue was vandalised and forcibly removed from its bench on Northbrook Street.

Newbury Business Improvement District brought Paddington to Newbury in October 2024, in partnership with STUDIOCANAL as part of its national Paddington Visits trail.

Paddington’s installation was particularly meaningful as Newbury is the birthplace of Paddington’s creator, Michael Bond – a connection that made the statue an even more cherished landmark.

Trish Willetts, CEO at Newbury BID says: “Our thoughts today echo the overwhelming response from the public – we are shocked and heartbroken to see such a senseless act of vandalism has taken place in our charming market town. While this is a truly sad moment for Newbury, the outpouring of support seen online really highlights the strong community spirit that defines our town.”

Newbury BID is actively working with all parties involved on the next steps.

The incident is already being investigated by Thames Valley Police, and Newbury BID encourage anyone who may have information or dashcam footage to contact them – you can do this anonymously via crime stoppers on 0800 555111 or by calling 101 with TVP ref 43250102626.

The photo above is reproduced with kind permission of Michael Williams and shows the remains of Paddington Bear after he was vandalised and stolen. Below, our photo of Paddington Bear when he was unveiled by the Mayor Of Newbury in October 2024.