A familiar face has gone missing from Chillington as Shaun the Sheep has been stolen.

Claudette Uff bought Shaun about five years ago and since then he has brightened the days of people travelling through the village. Claudette even dresses him up depending on the season.

But now someone has stolen him.

Claudette noticed he was missing on Wednesday morning, but her neighbours said he had gone missing Tuesday morning.

“People used to stop and take photos with him”, Claudette explained, “people on the double decker bus used to all go to one side to see him. At Christmas time he gets a bobble hat and scarf and at Easter he gets an Easter bonnet.

“We’re selling the house, but Shaun was going to stay, he’s part of the village now.”?Shaun couldn’t have been easy to steal, with a large chain attaching him to the house, so whoever took him must have come armed with bolt-cutters, and being a large sheep, it must have taken two people to carry him.

Claudette and her partner Mike found him with a broken leg at a showroom full of large sculptures while cycling the Heritage Trail in Bovey Tracey. “He was on a pile of rubbish with a broken back leg, so we got him for a reduced price and Mike fixed his leg.

“We had to take him back in the camper van, much to the dislike of our dog who growled at him when he saw him. Since then, he’s been outside the house.

“The whole village would like him back” Claudette concluded.

If you have any information on the possible location of Shaun, you can contact us on 01548 856353 or [email protected], and we can pass the information on the Claudette and Mike.

Alternatively, you can contact the police on 101, quoting crime reference number CR/80268/18.