A search for a missing baby Jesus is underway in an Ayrshire town after callous crooks raided a Christmas display.
Dedicated volunteer Alec Kelly has been left incensed after spending months building the display in Maybole.
And he was gutted to find that just days after its unveiling that the centre piece of the nativity scene had vanished.
Alec discovered the theft of the baby Jesus on Monday morning with the Christmas icon taken overnight.
The furious community stalwart told Ayrshire Live: “I do the Christmas lights in Maybole and have done for nearly 30 years.
“I built the wooden nativity scene myself, I built it from scratch. I don’t think people realise the time it takes.
“It was unveiled just at the end of last week to bring some festive cheer to the town.
“Now the focal point is missing."
Alec was left stunned that the desperate crooks went to the effort of getting through a ‘ring of steel’ intended to protect the Christmas decorations and the precious baby with mum Mary and dad Joseph.
He fumed: “I have no idea how they got into it, at the moment I don’t even know who it was.
“But there is 6ft Heras fencing around it, whoever has taken it has managed to get through that.”
The baby Jesus was donated last year and is described as being a baby doll which was wrapped in a white blanket.
Alec who started building the scene two months ago is pleading that the baby Jesus is returned safely.
He added: “It is a bit of a slap in the face to be honest.
“It’s the second time in 30 years that this has happened.
“You spend all your time getting things organised then someone steals it.
“I just hope they realise what they have done and bring it back where it belongs.”
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