Police hunt thieves who stole three bronze statues

Police are today hunting brazen thieves who stole three bronze statues of dancing women wearing rabbit masks worth more than £140,000 from a driveway in Kent.

The statues, by sculptress Sophie Ryder, vanished from a property near Tenterden at around 8.45pm on Sunday.

The three sculptures were on display in the victim’s driveway. They weigh up to 300 kilos and are said to be worth around £144,000.  

Two of the statues were later discovered in a nearby ditch, but one is still missing.

A vehicle and the front gate of the property were also damaged during the incident.

The three statues were created by Ms Ryder, 58, who is best known for her impressive sculptures of mythical creatures made out of bronze, resin and wire.

Her works have been exhibited in galleries and open spaces across the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and the US. 

Lady Hare, a woman with the head of a hare, is one of the artist’s most famous pieces, along with the Minotaur. 

A statue resembling the one stolen, called Dancing Ladies, was displayed outside Salisbury Cathedral in 2016. 

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone who might have seen a Land Rover Discovery in the area at the time of the incident on January 3.

Kent Police said: ‘Three bronze statues have been stolen from a property near Tenterden.

‘It was reported that at around 8.45pm on Sunday the large statues weighing around 200 to 300 kilos were stolen from the grounds of a property in Wittersham.

‘Damage was also caused to the gate.

‘Patrols attended the area where two of the statues were recovered from a ditch near the victim’s property.

‘A vehicle was also reported damaged nearby.’

Ms Ryder’s works can sell for anywhere between a few thousand pounds and £150,000 depending on their size.

In 1994, her statue showing five minotaurs was banned from an exhibition at Winchester Cathedral because of the prominence of their genitalia.