A burglar stole a four-foot ornate giraffe and used the sculpture to ram-raid a shop.
The thief stole the model animal from Worcester high street, where it had been part of a public art trail, before using it as a battering ram to smash his way into a city centre clothes store.
Police say they have arrested someone in connection with the incident.
“One arrested for criminal damage and burglary,” officers with West Mercia Policetweeted on Monday morning, along with a picture of the damaged door and discarded animal.
They said investigations were continuing.
The giraffe, known as Dotty, is one of 57 currently standing across the West Midlands city as part of a public art trail called Worcester Stands Tall.
Organisers of the six-mile trail – which is raising money for the city’s St Richard’s Hospice – tweeted that the giraffe had been so badly damaged it would not be returned to its position before the 10-week exhibition wrapped up on 16 September.
In a statement, they wrote: “We are sorry to report that unfortunately one of our sculptures, Dotty, has been badly damaged. This means the sculpture has been removed from the trail.
“Unfortunately, she will not be returning but we are doing everything we can to make sure she is ready to go back on display at our Farewell Event at Worcester Cathedral between 4-7 October.”
In total, 30 large eight-foot giraffes and 27 giraffe calves were placed around the city in July, and will be auctioned at the closing ceremony.
Dotty was designed and decorated by children at St Anne’s Church of England Primary School in nearby Bewdley.
