Zombie vanishes in dead of night

ON the loose... the life-size zombie has “escaped” from its home in Grains Road

THINGS are going bump in the night in Delph with the “escape” of a terrifying zombie.

Disgruntled Gaynor Padgham has seen her collection of ghoulish gargoyles and decorative ornaments stolen one-by-one from her garden.

The latest is a life-sized zombie especially shipped from America, which disappeared overnight on Tuesday.

Gaynor, of Grains Road, said: “I’ve collected them over the years and most of them have been bought as presents.

“I saw the zombie on the television and ordered it from the States, it was wired down but one of the arms was ripped off — then it vanished completely.”

The screaming zombie has become a cult figure in the village, lit up at Hallowe’en to strike fear into passers-by.

Gaynor now wants whoever is targeting her treasured garden to hand over the keepsakes.

Other collectables to have vanished is a heavy Buddha, a 2ft long dragon statue and a cat — a present from her late mother.

She added: “It’s heartbreaking, the zombie is well-known in the village and has been a real hit with the children who pass by.

“I just want people to be on the lookout, if it turns up in someone’s garden it’s highly likely to be mine.

“This is my thing, I don’t do rose bushes I do gargoyles.

“Most of them are weathering away and mean nothing to anyone, but they do to me.”

Police have reunited Gaynor with a couple of the missing ornaments after a thief was caught rummaging through local gardens.