Mystery as Ryhope's stolen statue replaced by replica

A replica of a stolen pony statue which was removed from a village sign has caused bafflement among residents.

Villagers said they were surprised to see the bronze-coloured figure had been installed overnight on a plinth in Ryhope, Tyne and Wear.

Sunderland City Council has said there are no current plans to create a replacement for the missing effigy.

It remains a mystery who created the new sculpture, which is made from fibre-glass, resin and brass shavings.

The original statue, erected in the 2000s, represented the working animals that once hauled carts of coal underground in the area.

However, it was cut down in November 2021, prompting villagers to replace it with a succession of soft toys, teddies, a rocking horse and now the fibre-glass creation.

"We've got no idea who did this, it just suddenly appeared saying 'I'm back'," Ryhope resident Debra Hope said.

"We don't know who made it, where they live, age, gender, nothing, we've no clue."

The 41-year-old praised the mystery creator, who she said "has gone to so much trouble" to make the pony.

"We've all enjoyed having the soft toys... but I think people will show it respect now it's something big, bolted down and it can't be taken away.

"We've been told its been made from fibre glass and real brass shavings, but they won't tell us anything and want to stay anonymous."

The secretive sculptor has created a social media account, posting pictures of the construction and updates on its progress.

The person, who is not revealing their identity but does live in Ryhope, told the BBC it had taken several months to make and should last for years.

"I was really annoyed with the theft of the original and after a while I realised it was unlikely to be replaced," they said.

"I knew I had the skills and training to make a replacement so I decided to do my bit for the local community."

Work started in mid-January with its measuring, and was eventually completed the day before it was placed on the plinth.

The council said it was "sad" the original statue had not been recovered but it was "not aware of any plans or funding at this point in time for it to be replaced".

Northumbria Police said the theft remains an open case and has appealed to anyone with information to make contact.

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