Giant Playmobil statue stolen from Canadian toy store

OTTAWA, March 31 (UPI) -- A Canadian toy store has taken to social media, seeking a thief after a life-size toy statue was stolen from in front of the store.

Tag Along Toys shared a photo of the giant Playmobil firefighter that was stolen from outside the store's Kanata location at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

"Very sad that someone would do this," they wrote on Facebook. "He has been part of the store for over eight years."

Store manager Debbie Harley told the CBC that a young man grabbed the four-and-a-half-foot tall statue from in front of the store and "ran like the wind."

The culprit then attempted to stuff the giant statue into a car parked nearby when the statue's head and arm fell off, but were returned to the thief by a bystander.

Harley said that the $550 statue acted as a major attraction for the store.

"It was a big draw," she said. "Kids would come to the store to get their picture taken with it."