Second pit pony statue stolen in three years

A metal pony has been ripped from its plinth in a village, nearly three years after an identical statue was taken.

Northumbria Police said it had received a report at 11:30 BST about a stolen statue on Tunstall Bank in Ryhope, Sunderland.

The pit pony statue represents the working animals which once hauled heavy carts of coal in Ryhope's underground tunnels.

The village was home to a large mining community until the closure of its colliery in 1966.

The latest theft comes after an identical statue was stolen from a village sign in October 2021.

However that site became a social media hit last year when locals started putting rocking horses and teddy bears on the sign to act as makeshift replacements for the stolen sculpture.

Debra Hope, who has lived in the village for more than 30 years, previously told the BBC: "It meant nothing to the person who stole it, but it meant a lot to the community."

She added: "My granddad, Bert Watson, was a miner. You can ask most people in Ryhope, Seaham and Silksworth if they know someone, and their parents and grandparents will have worked down there."

In the latest theft, the pit pony's hooves have been left standing on the plinth.

The police said they were investigating and asked anyone with information regarding the theft to contact them.

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