Manhunt launched after 'badger bandit' steals pub mascot

Mr and Mrs Badger, two soft toys, have been fixtures at the Oddfellows Arms in Wimborne for 35 years.

But staff say Mrs Badger has now been left alone after her companion disappeared on Friday, March 27.

According to the pub, CCTV footage shows a woman hiding Mr Badger under her scarf before leaving the pub. Staff say she then went to a nearby Wetherspoons, where the mascot was seen sitting on her lap.

Landlord Callum Brooks said the woman had been sitting with a group near the windowsill where Mr Badger was kept.

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He said: “There were five of them in the group and they all knew what she was up to.”Brooks said staff initially hoped the toy would simply be returned.

“We thought: Things happen, and people make mistakes after a few beers, so we made an appeal for her to return it,” he said.

He added: “We are aware that it is a stuffed toy and there are far more serious things going on in the world. But you should not be tampering with history.

“I know people often steal empty glasses from pubs, but they can be replaced, and the badger can’t.“We don’t want to start a witch hunt – we just want our badger back.”

The Oddfellows says its Badger Beers range is named after the pair.

The pub has now offered a reward for information and wants the toy returned before a street party on 11 April.

In a social media appeal, the pub wrote: “REWARD: BADGER. Taken from our pub by an unknown outlaw. If you know something, say something.

“Help us bring him home where he belongs. Reward offered for information leading to his safe return.”