Oving residents saddened after scarecrow 'kidnapped' ahead of annual event

Named 'Flossie' by the owners, the scarecrow was being used to advertise the annual Oving Scarecrow Day on May 11 and was last seen on Wednesday night at around 9pm.

The scarecrow was hung from a telegraph pole outside the owners home in High Street.

According to residents, a car stopped outside the home and was believed to have broken down, but the scarecrow was put in the boot and has not been seen by the owners since.

A poster, which will be put up around the village, asks people with any information to contact their community wardens.

The poster reads: "Oving scarecrow kidnapped. Flossie was kidnapped from below a telegraph pole in High Street on the evening of Wednesday 24 by two people in a silver focus.

"No ransom demand has yet been received from the perpetrators and forensic investigations are continuing."

Oving resident and organiser of Scarecrow Day, Sue Catlett, said the theft had been reported to community wardens.

She said: "It had attracted a lot of attention with people taking selfies. Although it was placed right opposite its owner’s house and fastened to a telegraph pole, some mean spirited person stole it.

"People liked it. I think we are all a bit sad really. It's sad to think that somebody would take one."

Oving Scarecrow Day has been running for eleven years which aims to be accessible to the whole community. For more information, visit: www.ovingscarecrows.org/about