Historic statue stolen from park

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A stone statue described as "precious and historically significant" has been stolen from a park in Kent.

The Dancing Girl, by Victorian sculptor William Theed, has stood in Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells since it was donated by Alderman RD Burslem in 1951.

It was stolen from the park's Grecian temple on Sunday night.

"The statue is a valuable part of the park and the town's heritage and we are anxious to see it returned," said a Tunbridge Wells council spokeswoman.

Window removed

The theft was discovered on Monday morning by a member of staff who noticed that a window in the temple had been removed.

Vehicle tracks led from the Pembury Road entrance to the temple, but it is not known how the statue was removed from the plinth to which it was attached.

The spokeswoman said the council did not have a current valuation for the statue, which was carved in the 1800s.

Work by William Theed was shown at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London and he made statues for the Albert Memorial, Buckingham Palace and Somerset House.