Police on prowl for lion thieves

The lions stood outside the property in Ayton for decades

Two ceramic lions which stood at the entrance to a former hotel in the Borders for about 80 years have been stolen.

The statues - estimated to be worth £4,000 - were taken from the site of the old Red Lion Hotel in Ayton.

The hotel closed 17 years ago but the lions had remained at the front of the building, which is now a residential property.

A police spokesman said a vehicle must have been used to remove the statues.

The incident took place some time on Thursday night into Friday morning.

It is a bit of history that has been ripped out of the village and a lot of people are understandably upset about this Cliff Barker Lion owner

Cliff Barker, who now lives in Red Lion House with his wife Susan, said he was devastated by the theft.

"I lived in London for many years and nothing happened," he said.

"Then I move up to a quiet Borders village last December and I find my lions have been nicked.

"It is a bit of history that has been ripped out of the village and a lot of people are understandably upset about this."

The Red Lion Hotel opened in Ayton in 1766 and the ceramic lions were added during the 1920s.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police appealed for anyone who may have seen a vehicle in the area to contact them.

"We are looking for two male lions which had sat on plinths and have been removed from their cement base during Thursday night," he said.

"They are described as 20in in height and 3ft long.

"Due to their weight a vehicle must have been used."