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A postbox topper knitted to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has gone missing.
The knitted scene, featuring a soldier, a corgi and Her Majesty herself, has been on display on the corner of Eston Avenue and Hastings Road since the end of May.
But residents noticed the topper had disappeared at the weekend – and its creator is hoping that whoever took it will bring it back.
“It’s the first one I’ve made,” said Mandy Harding. “The jubilee just seemed like a good reason to start.
Mrs Harding’s jubilee postbox topper in all its glory
“It’s the postbox nearest our house and I’ve been checking on it every day to make sure it’s all ok, but after a few days away I returned to find it had gone.
“People have said they saw it at about 2.30pm on Saturday so someone must have taken it late Saturday or early Sunday.”
Mrs Harding said she had lovely comments from people who saw her putting the topper in place before the jubilee weekend – and even more after pictures of her creation were shared on Facebook.
Jubilee postbox toppers going missing
She said she spent two or three weeks making the topper in her spare time.
As well as taking two or three days to make each figure, Mrs Harding had to wire each one to a pegboard and even custom-built legs in order to attach it to the postbox, which has a curved, sloping top.
“I’d like to think someone took it in to protect it from the rain at the weekend, but maybe someone just stole it,” said Mrs Harding.
“It is on a bus route so maybe someone just liked the look of it.
“I’m in a Facebook group for postbox toppers and a lot of jubilee ones have gone missing around the country.
READ MORE: Plea for stolen festival postbox topper to be returned
“Hopefully this will prick someone’s conscience and they will bring it back.”
Despite the topper’s disappearance, Mrs Harding is pressing on with plans for her next creation, which she says will have a summer holiday theme.
The craze for knitted or crocheted postbox toppers has grown in popularity in recent years and has even been welcomed by the Royal Mail.
Yarn bombers are simply asked to that decorations do not cause a safety concern or any offence, and do not obstruct customers from posting letters or postal workers from collecting mail.
