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Boxing Champ's Statue Sawn Off in Park Heist
3 Feb
Summary
- Bronze statue of boxer Terry Baldock stolen from London park.
- Thieves left behind only the metal boots of the monument.
- Grandson condemns 'toerag' thieves, fears statue melted for scrap.
The bronze statue of Terry Baldock, celebrated as the 'Pride of Poplar' and Britain's youngest boxing world champion, was stolen from Langdon Park in east London. Thieves cut the monument from its base, leaving behind only the metal boots. Martin Sax, Baldock's grandson and the driving force behind the statue's installation in 2014, condemned the thieves as 'toerags.'
Mr. Sax, who raised £100,000 for the statue, shared his profound disappointment and anger via social media. He fears the thieves will sell the bronze for scrap metal value, lamenting the potential loss of years of hard work. He has alerted scrap metal dealers to be suspicious of any new bronze shipments, though he fears the statue may already have been melted down.
Terry Baldock captured the bantamweight world title in 1927 at the age of 19. The Metropolitan Police are investigating the theft, reviewing CCTV footage from the park. No arrests have been made as of Tuesday morning. The local council has expressed shock and pledged full cooperation with the police investigation to find the statue and apprehend those responsible.
