£100,000 Teddy Baldock stolen by thieves set to be replaced

A £100,000 bronze statue of Britain’s youngest ever world championship boxer, stolen by masked raiders from outside a London station, is to be replaced and protected by ramped up security measures, Metro can reveal. 

Detectives released CCTV of the masked suspects ripping down the statue of legendary fighter Teddy Baldock in an appeal after the theft on February 1. 

But the investigation has drawn a blank and Teddy’s family are working on a replacement funded through an insurance claim. 

Teddy, known as the Pride of Poplar, became the bantamweight champion of the world in 1927, after beating American boxer Archie Bell, aged just 19. 

A statue of him made possible through funds raised by his grandson Martin Sax was unveiled outside Langdon Park DLR station near Teddy’s Poplar birthplace in 2014. 

Boxing greats like Charlie Magri, a former lightweight world champion and lightweight Colin Dunne, who only lost three professional fights,  attended the ceremony. 

But thieves cut down the statue, leaving just the bronze boxing boots on the plinth which is outside the Spotlight youth center and a boxing gym. 

Martin, a former Royal Marine, described the theft as ‘soul destroying’. 

He said that far from being a knockout blow it had spurred him on to put a bronze of his beloved grandfather back on its plinth. 

He told Metro: ‘The police have drawn a blank but we are not going to take the theft as a knockout we are going to get up and fight back like Teddy would have wanted and would have done himself. We are going to literally build it back from the boots up. 

‘The people who stole the statue probably did it just for a few hundred quid with the value of the melted down bronze. It’s heartbreaking for us but the community had rallied around and we are going to get a statue of my grandfather back on that plinth.’ 

Teddy died aged just 62 after an illustrious career in which he fought at top venues including Madison Square Garden in New York. He was famed for his fast hands and agility. 

The thieves apparently cut through the legs of the statue before putting it on a cargo bike and fleeing the park under the cover of darkness. 

Martin said: ‘The new statue with have steel rods inside the legs to make it more difficult to cut through. 

‘There was CCTV covering the area but the problem is these criminals cover their faces. Facial recognition technology can’t function in those circumstances. One good thing is that after the first theft local people will be on the lookout for suspicious people hanging around the statue. They are very community spirited.’

Martin, who initially came up with the idea of a statue after researching his family history, said that local youth groups would take the front seat when it comes to unveiling the replacement statue.

He told Metro: ‘My grandfather showed what you can achieve from humble beginnings if you work hard. 

‘He started as a fighter aged 14 and made the most of his talent.

‘I want young people to be given the confidence to go forward with their dreams even if they are from a disadvantage area. The youth and boxing club overlooks the site of the statue and I want the young people to take inspiration from it. 

‘These thieves who took it will have won if that plinth stays empty. 

‘Teddy will be up there again we will not let him down.’

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