Hundreds of poppies made to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day have been stolen.
Popular local group the Barkham Hookers spent hundreds of hours stitching poppies for a sculpture in Arborfield only for them to go missing within 24 hours of being installed.
Gaynor White of the Barkham Hookers said: “I woke up to the news that two of the three saddle clothes we had made for the horse sculptures in Arborfield had been stolen overnight. There were over 400 hand crocheted poppies on each as well as a helmet. They had been there less than 24 hours.
“My crochet group the Barkham Hookers and I are absolutely gutted as we have been working on this project for months and hoped to raise more money for the British Legion as well. We have raised over £55,000 for the British Legion alone over the last 10 years and we decoded this was a fitting tribute to the animals and horses that have been killed in wars all over the world as well as recognising the incredible efforts of all those involved in the D-DAY landings in Normandy.
“We really would just like them back so we can return them to the horses where they have been so admired since yesterday.”
The life-sized iron-resin horse statues in Arborfield Green, off Biggs Lane, were commissioned by Crest Nicholson and designed by Amy Goodman. Sculptor & Portrait Artist, the three sculptures to commemorate Aborfield’s rich history as the home of the Remount Depot and Horse Infirmary of REME during the First and Second World Wars. The sculptures pay tribute to the fallen horses that passed through Arborfield during this time.
Photos by Paul King