In a brazen act of theft, a middle-aged woman was captured on surveillance cameras stealing a decorative wooden monkey statue from a popular West Yorkshire pub. The incident occurred at the Shoulder of Mutton in Hebden Bridge, where landlady Lesley Wood discovered the ornamental primate missing on Sunday morning.
CCTV Footage Reveals Theft
After reviewing the CCTV footage, Ms Wood observed the female customer gingerly picking up the monkey statue before placing it back on the windowsill during Saturday evening. Following a moment of hesitation, the woman then confidently swiped the statue and marched out of the establishment with the primate in hand.
The woman was part of a large group of middle-aged individuals who had spent approximately two hours at the pub, according to Ms Wood's statement to the Daily Mail. The landlady recognized the group but noted they were not regular patrons and did not reside locally.
Brazen Exit Goes Unnoticed
"She walked out of the pub so brazenly with the monkey just in her hand that nobody even noticed she had it," Ms Wood revealed. Outside the premises, the woman was seen lighting a cigarette as her group departed to continue their night elsewhere.
Surprisingly, this marks the second occasion this particular monkey statue has been stolen, with Ms Wood disclosing that the decorative primates scattered throughout the pub have been taken multiple times previously.
Landlady's Appeal and Frustration
Ms Wood reported the theft to local police on Sunday, but authorities did not pursue the matter further as the culprit was not local and the incident had occurred the previous evening. In an effort to recover the statue, the pub has posted an appeal on Facebook featuring images of the group in hopes they might come forward.
"It's quite deflating when this happens because we like to make it as a welcoming place as possible," Ms Wood expressed. "We don't want things nailed down - that's not what Hebden is about - and it's depressing enough with all the pressure hospitality is under anyway."
No Harm Done if Returned
The landlady added that the woman must be "quite embarrassed" but emphasized that should she return the monkey, there would be "no harm done." Having managed the popular drinking spot for eleven years, Ms Wood noted that thefts from the pub have increased in recent years.
"You get used to glassware being taken, but people are now taking other stuff from the pub," she explained. "We had one woman with a big group of girls who stole a painting a few years ago. They think it's a laugh, and a lot of them are visiting from out of town and just think it's a bit of fun, but a lot of the stuff in the pub is expensive and even from my own home."
Pattern of Pub Thefts
The monkey in Hebden Bridge represents just the latest decorative animal to be swiped from a pub in what appears to be a pattern of drunken heists. In March, the beloved badger mascot of The Oddfellows Arms in Wimborne, Dorset, was taken before being returned with an apology.
Known as "Mr Badger and Mrs Badger," the mascots were gifted to the 18th-century pub by a customer in 1991 and had become local celebrities over their 35-year residence on the windowsill. On March 27, a female customer was caught on CCTV smuggling Mr Badger out after drinks with friends.
Previous Theft Resolution
Earlier this month, the unidentified woman contacted landlord Callum Brooks to apologize and arrange the mascot's return. She sheepishly explained she had attempted to return it the following morning but found the pub closed. Mr Badger was finally returned on Good Friday with a new scarf, accompanied by a £100 donation to a badger charity from the woman.
Ms Wood remains hopeful for a similar resolution regarding her stolen monkey statue, recalling that the last time it was taken, "he turned up on an outdoor table one morning after he was taken," suggesting the primate might simply be "on another holiday."
