A brazen man allegedly stole a piece of public artwork from a wall in Sutton Coldfield, unscrewing it before boarding a bus with the painting under his arm. The incident occurred at around 6am on Friday, April 24, according to a spokesperson for Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BID.
Witness captures theft on video
Local resident Gary witnessed the theft and recorded it on his phone. He saw an individual using what appeared to be an electric screwdriver to remove the artwork from a wall on Birmingham Road. The hand-painted mural, which depicts a bird, was commissioned in November last year to transform a blank space next to Lloyds Bank that had sat untouched for over 20 years.
Quick-thinking resident alerts police
Gary called 999 immediately and followed the suspect, who casually boarded a bus with the large painting tucked under his arm. At the next stop, police officers boarded the bus and made an arrest. The artwork was recovered, and the suspect has now been charged.
Visit Royal Sutton Coldfield BID shared the story on Facebook, praising the community's swift action. They wrote: 'You have to be pretty brazen to steal public artwork... but yesterday morning really took it to another level.' They added: 'Public art isn't just decoration. It's identity, pride, and shared ownership of place. And clearly... worth defending.'
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police has been asked for comment but has not yet responded.
