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Mystery as plaques vanish from historic former cinema
Mystery surrounds the disappearance of two plaques from Bradford's landmark former Odeon building.
The Bradford City Heritage plaques commemorating the former cinema's history were fixed to the outside of the historic building in Bradford.
One plaque read: "This building, formerly the New Victoria Cinema was built in 1930 and was one of the biggest English cinemas outside London with 3,316 seats, a restaurant and a ballroom."
The other read: "This is the site of the old Bradford Brewery of Whitaker and Company founded in 1757 and famous for its Yorkshire Stingo." Both of the signs also bore the words "Bradford City Heritage."
The disappearance of the plaques, which appear to have been removed, was spotted by a supporter of the campaign to save the building, Bradford Odeon Rescue Group (BORG).
Group spokesman Mark Nicholson: "One of our supporters e-mailed us to ask if we had noticed the plaques had gone. There is no evidence that they were prized off and there is no visible trauma to the concrete. I think someone must have used a chisel and screwdriver to get them off because they were bolted to the exterior.
"We find it incredible that, all of a sudden, these important things have gone. It could be anybody."
A spokesman for Yorkshire Forward, which owns the building, said, yesterday: "We are looking into it. Someone may know something about it. We cannot say either way at the moment."
The clock is ticking towards the earmarked demolition of the former cinema to make way for a new 55m development of offices, apartments and a 100-bedroom hotel called New Victoria Place.
But campaigners to save the building have submitted a petition signed by more than 1,000 people to Bradford Council, asking it to serve a preservation notice on the historic building.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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