A bell has been stolen from a war memorial in a Nottingham park.
Nottinghamshire Police said the bell was taken from the Chinese Bell Tower, in the city’s Arboretum.
The force said Nottingham City Council, which runs the Arboretum, had recently noticed the bell was missing though it was unclear exactly when it was removed.
Historic England said the bell was installed in the tower in the 1950s to replace one looted by British troops from a temple in Canton during the Anglo-Chinese War (Opium War) of 1857-61.
The original was donated to a museum.
Sgt Karl Browne said: “Thankfully the stolen bell is not the original one that was erected at the park in 1862.
“However, the replacement still carries much historic significance, having been the centrepiece of the Chinese Bell Tower for many years.
“Since the theft was reported to us, we have trawled local CCTV and liaised with scrapyards and local dealers to establish if any person tried to sell it for scrap metal and have it melted down.”
Anyone with information about the bell is urged to contact the police.
