Thieves steal 6ft Christmas nutcracker from Warwick family's charity display - but they say they won't let it spoil their fun

A life-sized musical Christmas nutcracker has been stolen from a Warwick family's charity lights display - but they say they will not let this act bring them down.

Over the last few years the Stickley family in Myton Crescent have been putting up a Christmas lights display for their grandchildren.

Then last year the family decided to collect donations for the Myton Hospice and managed to raise £1,200 and this year they are raising money in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

However, last Saturday the family were shocked to find that their 6ft musical nutcracker called George had been stolen - despite being chained to a wall.

Dave Stickley said: "We started off doing the lights display for out grandchildren and had so many people coming to see it so it just escalated each year and we did more and more.

"Our nutcracker George plays a drum and various Christmas tunes. Kids loved it and everyone loved it.

"Looking at the CCTV they came back three times and then a fourth and brought tools with them and then carried it away. It seemed to be about three people.

"It's a shame and sad really as we donate all the money to charity.

"When it's Christmas and you are doing something for charity you don't expect someone to thoughtlessly take something like that.

"My daughter is on social media and posted about it and we have had hundreds of people say they will keep an eye out - we have just got to hope.

"We have reported it to the police and we are hoping George will be found. We will even give a reward if information is passed to the police that sees him returned to us."

Despite George the nutcracker being taken, the family are determined to not let what happened put them off.

"We are not going to let this put us off doing a display again", said Dave. "We have decided we are going to really go for it next year and make it bigger and better and not let this get the better of us.

"The vast majority of people are nice and kids love it. We have had so many messages from people who say coming to see our display is part of their family's Christmas traditions.

"We are not going to let the thieves spoil it."

To donate to the Stickley family's fundraising page for the British Heart Foundation go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MytonChristmasLightsIf anyone has any information about George the nutcracker the Stickley family are asking people to call Warwickshire Police on 101 and quote crime reference number 264 of December 18.