In a brazen act of theft that has shocked the local community, a gang of four individuals has stolen the £100,000 bronze statue commemorating British boxing champion Teddy Baldock from Langdon Park in Poplar, east London. Newly released CCTV footage captures the moment the suspects, all dressed in black with their faces covered, wrenched the monument from its stone plinth before making their escape.
Appeals for Information as Police Step Up Hunt
The Metropolitan Police have intensified their search for the offenders, releasing footage from shortly after 8pm last Sunday. The video shows the four suspects at the scene, wiggling the statue free without any visible tools, according to Scotland Yard. They then placed it in a three-wheel cargo bike and covered it with a high-visibility jacket before traveling northbound towards Bromley-by-Bow Underground station. The theft occurred close to Langdon Park station on the Docklands Light Railway.
Detective Superintendent Oliver Richter, responsible for neighbourhood policing in Tower Hamlets, stated: "We understand this is a very distressing time for members of our community to have a monument of a local hero treated this way. I want to assure the public that our officers are working at pace to identify those responsible and will continue to follow every available line of enquiry." He appealed for anyone with information to contact the police, quoting CAD 6133/1Feb, or to remain anonymous by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Grandson's Heartbreak and Fears Over Scrap Metal Fate
Martin Sax, 56, the grandson of Teddy Baldock who spearheaded the campaign and raised £100,000 for the statue, expressed his devastation. He told the Daily Mail he fears the "toerags" behind the theft have already had the statue melted down for scrap metal. "I woke up this morning and I'm thinking, it will be melted down by now," he said, adding that the perpetrators might only get a couple of thousand pounds from its scrap value.
Mr Sax, from Minehead in Somerset, shared his anger on social media, posting: "Completely gutted, I have just found out that last night, thieves stole the statue of my Grandfather from where it stood in Poplar, East London. The low life scum will get the scrap metal value and years of hard work will be spent within weeks." He warned that there would be "a scrap metal dealer somewhere who will be willing to melt this historic piece of art down" and urged them to "hang your head in shame."
Legacy of the 'Pride of Poplar'
Teddy Baldock, known as the "Pride of Poplar," became the UK's youngest boxing world champion in 1927 when he captured the bantamweight crown at just 19 years old. His victory over US fighter Archie Bell at London's Royal Albert Hall earned him praise from the Times, which dubbed him "by far the fastest and most brilliant boxer at his weight." He fought at prestigious venues including Madison Square Garden in New York before dying penniless in Rochford, Essex, in March 1971 at age 63.
The statue was unveiled in 2014 in Langdon Park, in the east London district of Poplar where Baldock grew up. The fundraising effort, led by Mr Sax, included running the London Marathon, reaching out to family and supporters, and selling maquette models of the proposed statue. Mr Sax, who spent 25 years in the Royal Marines, described it as a passion project, saying: "That was my drive and it was the same getting this statue made."
Community Outpouring and Council Response
The theft has sparked a significant public outpouring of sympathy on social media, with many expressing their dismay at the loss of a local hero's monument. Mr Sax noted: "If it was a statue of some politician from 100 years ago, would people care? But this was a working class kid from the East End who, through hard graft, turned professional as a boxer."
Tower Hamlets Council, which covers the park, said in a statement: "We are shocked to hear of the theft of the Teddy Baldock statue from Langdon Park. The 'Pride of Poplar' statue is an important part of the borough's history and means a lot to our community." The council is reviewing its CCTV as part of the police investigation in hopes of recovering the statue and catching the culprits.
At the scene, the raiders left behind just the statue's metal boots, which still sit on the plinth. As the hunt continues, authorities and the community remain hopeful for the statue's safe return, but fears persist that this piece of sporting history may already be lost forever to the scrap metal trade.
