A MUCH-LOVED statue which was stolen from a popular park has been found and will be restored thanks to donations.

The statue, named ‘Child in the Park’, was ripped from its plinth from Lake Meadows Park, in Radford Crescent, Billericay, during the evening of February 14.

It is believed the bronze statue, which depicted a kneeling child holding a snail in its cupped hands, was yanked from its pedestal and removed using a truck because of its weight.

Almost three months later. the statue can now be returned to its home in the park in the next couple of months after it was discovered in Brentwood on Friday.

The police were called who then notified Basildon Council, which owns the park.

Police have not yet disclosed exactly how or where the statue was found.

Fortunately, the statue was not badly damaged, but work will need to be done to both the statue and the plinth to make sure that it can be securely reinstalled.

When the statue was stolen, a fundraising campaign was set up by charity group Friends of Lake Meadows, to help raise money for a replacement statue.

It is understood that the fund - which amounted to a staggering £2,172 - will be be used to help pay for the restoration work to be carried out by the sculptor, the foundry and other specialists.

Charles Novis, chairman of the Friends, said the group did not expect to see the statue again. He said: “We are relieved and delighted that the statue has been found, as we really did not expect to see it again.

“Whoever took it must have realised how much it meant to everyone who loves it and we’d like to thank everyone involved in returning it safely.

“The Friends would like to thank everyone who made donations to the fund and would like to reassure them that their contributions are greatly appreciated and will enable the statue to come home.“

Vin Harrop, a member of the Friends and a sculptor himself, said: “From one sculptor to another, I am so glad that John Doubleday’s Child in the Park has been found for I know he put so much effort into creating all the small creatures surrounding the base of the sculpture to help children to identify those in the park itself.

“Doing a replacement was never an option- you cannot rekindle the same amount of inspiration. It will create a tremendous amount of excitement among the children of Billericay in particular that it has at last been found.

“I can remember being present at the inaugural gathering to unveil this unusual and pertinent sculpture, remembering the excitement among the children present that not only were they going to have their own garden in the park, but someone who they could confide their thoughts in.”

The Child in the Park statue, which was placed in a secret garden in Lake Meadows, was a memorable port of call for many people who visited the park.

It had been in the park for 17 years.