VANDALS have damaged Dave the dinosaur and moved him from his temporary plinth on Worcester High Street.

David Lane, aged 31, his partner Charlotte Goode, 25, and his sister Keeley Hughes, clubbed together to buy the £12.99 tyrannosaurus as a gesture to residents after the city’s beloved Gregory the giraffe was allegedly shoulder barged on Tuesday and had to be removed for repair work.

Mr Lane, who runs Coffee 45 on the Tything with Miss Goode, placed the dinosaur on the plinth on the Cross, near Pret, on Wednesday - but just two days later- he has vanished.

Speaking after his disappearance on Facebook, Mr Lane said: “I am pretty gutted to see Dave the Dino has been stolen over night.

“He was popped there for the folks of Worcester to enjoy after Gregory the Giraffe was damaged. Whoever has taken him is heartless.”

He was later found and returned to the plinth by city centre police officers.

Speaking to the Worcester News, Mr Lane said: “Looking at the puncture wounds we’ve found I’d say it was possibly an accident as he had a helium unicorn balloon attached to him as it looks like they’ve cut the ribbon with something sharp and caught Dave at the same time leaving a couple of holes.

“Either was they’ve intentionally stolen the balloon and taken Dave either to hide the fact they’ve punctured him or just to be spiteful.

“Dave is due surgery this afternoon, hopefully he’ll make a full recovery and return to hiss plinth duties later.”

Following Gregory’s removal, a number of items have been put on the empty plinth including a small plastic toy giraffe and a red rose.

The giraffe is part of the Worcester Stands Tall art trail, a project to raise money for St Richard’s Hospice Build 2020 appeal to expand its premises.

Gregory is due to be reinstalled mid next week.

Speaking yesterday, Sara Matthews, project manager for Worcester Stands Tall, said: “Thank you to the people who put Dave the dinosaur on Gregory’s empty plinth – it certainly brought a smile to our faces.”