Thieves saw down and steal statue of British boxing champion from London park

The grandson of a champion British boxer has condemned ‘toerag’ thieves who sawed down and stole a statue in his honour from a London park.

Teddy Baldock became the UK’s youngest boxing world champion in 1927 when capturing the bantamweight crown aged just 19.

A bronze statue of the fighter, who was renowned as the ‘Pride of Poplar’ had been erected in Langdon Park, in the east London district in which he was brought up.

But now the statue’s removal has been revealed – with raiders leaving behind just the statue’s metal boots, as the grandson who battled for the monument condemned the ‘toerags’ behind the crime.

Baldock’s grandson Martin Sax, who spearheaded the campaign and raised £100,000 for the statue to be put in place in 2014, told the Daily Mail how ‘gutted’ he felt – while also welcoming a public outpouring of sympathy following the loss.

The 56-year-old, from Minehead in Somerset, has appealed for help tracking down the monument, though also fears it could already have been melted down for scrap – yet dealers have been put on alert.

Baldock is deemed to be Britain’s youngest world boxing champion following his victory over US fighter Archie Bell in 1927 at London’s Royal Albert Hall. 

News of the statue’s theft was only shared to his grandson Mr Sax on Facebook.

The bronze statue in honour of Teddy Baldock was unveiled in Langdon Park, Poplar, in 2014

Just the metal boots have been left after thieves struck overnight at the Poplar park

Teddy Baldock became the UK’s youngest boxing world champion in 1927 when capturing the bantamweight crown aged just 19

And he has since shared appeals via social media, saying ‘time is of the essence’.

He posted: ‘Completely gutted, I have just found out that last night, thieves stole the statue of my Grandfather from where it stood in Poplar, East London.

‘The low life scum will get the scrap metal value and years of hard work will be spent within weeks.

‘Words cannot describe the anger I have for the people responsible.’

He also suggested there would be ‘a scrap metal dealer somewhere who will be willing to melt this historic piece of art down’, adding: ‘Hang your head in shame.’

Mr Sax today told the Daily Mail of his fears the statue was already lost for scrap – but warned ‘the word’ had gone out to any potential merchants.

He said: ‘There’s been such a response on social media. But I woke up this morning and I’m thinking, it will be melted down by now.

‘The people who’ve taken this, they haven’t got a conscience. They’re just seeing the value. But they might be lucky to get a couple of thousands of pounds.

Teddy Baldock’s grandson Martin Sax shared a picture of the scene of the stolen statue

A local resident is seen looking at what is currently left of the statue in Langdon Park

The bronze boots still sit on the plinth originally put up in 2014

‘I’ve got a lot of connections in the boxing world, who also have connections in the scrap metal world.

‘The word has gone out, to any dealers to be suspicious about any new lump of bronze coming their way.’

But he also expressed his sadness, having campaigned with fundraising to have the statue in Baldock’s honour sculpted and put in place 12 years ago.

The fundraising effort included running the London Marathon, reaching out to family and supporters and selling maquette models of the proposed statue.

Mr Sax, who spent 25 years in the Royal Marines after joining up aged 17, said: ‘That was my drive and it was the same getting this statue made. It was a passion of mine.’

He added, following the theft and the sympathetic social media response to its loss: ‘If it was a statue of some politician from 100 years ago, would people care?

‘But this was a working class kid from the East End who, through hard graft, turned professional as a boxer.

‘He won a title at the Albert Hall, fought at Madison Square Gardens and others in America. And now some toerags have just cut him down.’

British bantamweight boxer Teddy Baldock is pictured here in sparring pose at Dyers Gymnasium in the Strand in central London on April 3 1927, days before his title-winning fight

The monument stood close to Langdon Park station on the Docklands Light Railway system

Baldock fought at venues including the Royal Albert Hall in London and Madison Square Garden in New York. 

In the year he beat Bell at the Albert Hall, the Times dubbed him ‘by far the fastest and most brilliant boxer at his weight’. 

He is said to have been penniless when he died aged 63 in Rochford, Essex, in March 1971. 

The local authority covering the park where the theft happened, Tower Hamlets council, said: ‘We are shocked to hear of the theft of the Teddy Baldock statue from Langdon Park.

‘The “Pride of Poplar” statue is an important part of the borough’s history and means a lot to our community.

‘We are reviewing our CCTV as part of the police investigation in the hope that we can find the statue and catch the culprits.’

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed an investigation, saying in a statement: ‘Police were called at 20.07hrs on Sunday, 1 February following reports that a statue had been stolen from outside Langdon Park, Poplar.

Teddy Baldock, the ‘Pride of Poplar’, is pictured here training in London on February 14 1928

Tower Hamlets council and the Metropolitan Police appealed for information about the theft

‘No arrests have been made at this early stage of the investigation.

‘Officers are carrying out enquiries to identify those responsible and will continue to follow every available line of enquiry.’

A Scotland Yard spokesman said on Tuesday morning there were no updates. 

Anyone with any information is encouraged by police to call 101 quoting CAD 6133/1Feb or, to remain anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.