Prized collection of designer teddy bears stolen in smash and grab

The display, featuring nearly £2,000 of limited edition bears of all different sizes, dressed in frills and bows, had only been laid out a week before the thieves struck in Whitby.

Some of the bears, the biggest of which are worth £345 each, had come out of their boxes for the first time to delight children passing the Whitby Glass 
‘Lucky Duck’ shop in the seaside town.

But passing thieves spotted the bears were valuable collectors’ items made by designer bear brand Steiff and returned after closing time on Friday night to smash the reinforced glass.

They were unable to make a big enough hole so the biggest bear, 59cm tall, got jammed in the window. The three thieves were caught on CCTV wrestling it out of the broken glass before running off. Seventeen bears were stolen in the raid at 11.30pm, 15 of which are limited edition play things.

But the raiders did not realise that each teddy bear has a unique catalogue “mug shot” which is now in the hands of North Yorkshire Police. The bears are only valuable as collectors’ items when sold with a unique certificate of authenticity.

An appeal has been made on Facebook for information 
leading to the recovery of the stolen bears.