St George's Day postbox topper theft upsets Donisthorpe villagers

Villagers have been left devastated after their St George's Day postbox topper was stolen.

Crafters in Donisthorpe, Leicestershire, had put hours of work into the creation and it received a warm response on social media.

Resident Sarah Howells told the BBC the theft was "very upsetting" for the village.

She hopes the local police team will help them track down the patriotic topper following the theft on Sunday.

"Everybody put so much effort into these postbox toppers, and we have seen a few of them now over the year or so, I think, always built with such dedication," said Ms Howells.

She said toppers placed on postboxes "really brighten up people's journeys" and "everybody loves it".

"To find out this morning this latest one, that had attracted an awful lot of attention, because it was just so wonderful, so vibrant, has gone, it's just such a shame," she said.

"It's one of those things which is put there for everybody to see, and for everyone to celebrate.

"It is disappointing when people can't leave something that has been put there for other people's enjoyment. Just leave it alone and let that enjoyment be shared."

She added people were sharing what had happened on Facebook and felt sure their local police team would be "eyes-on all over the place" with regards to where the topper might be.

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