One Warwick Park Hotel, Tunbridge Wells, is on the search for its golden gorilla, which was stolen from the bar by two women on a night out.
The hotel bar’s iconic primate statue was snatched on Friday August 18 at around 10.30pm. Two women, caught on CCTV, entered the hotel lounge bar, enjoyed a few drinks and posed for photograph with the gorilla.
Having seemingly developed an affinity for the gorilla, the women were captured on film leaving the bar shortly afterwards with the gorilla as they headed down Cumberland Walk.
At 11.30pm, an off-duty staff member of the One Warwick Park Hotel recognised and photographed the gorilla brazenly perched on a table in the Bedford Pub on the High Street, next to one of the suspects.
The gorilla statue, which is embellished with golden balls and sits in a classic ‘knuckle-walking pose’ is around 1.5ft tall and worth about £200.
A hotel spokesperson said: “For safety and security we have over 70 CCTV cameras covering both the inside and outside of the hotel. The guests who appear to have stolen the statue were picked up by a number of these cameras. All the footage and information has been passed to the police.”
An appeal for witnesses to the gorilla-napping has been launched. The hotel is hopeful that the gorilla will be safely returned home so he can be put back on the bar in his pride of place.
Anyone with information about the gorilla can contact reception@onewarwickpark.co.uk
