'Yarn Banksy' appeals for help after knitted tortoise goes missing

Thursday 17 August 2023

Jersey’s anonymous postbox knitter has appealed to islanders for their help after one of the tortoises on her latest creation has gone missing.

The post box topper, which is outside the Co-op at Red Houses in St. Brelade, features miniature versions of a selection of the 50 giant tortoises and 65 smaller ones featuring in Durrell's fundraising Tortoise Takeover sculpture trail.

Featured in the design were woollen replicas of: Berry Good Tortoise, Not Fast Food, Dodo Tortoise, Forget Me Not, It's A Rave Dave, Terrace Tortoise, Eco Ninja, as well as the hare sculpture Love To Run.

However, the phantom knitter told Express this morning that she was "gutted" to realise that the 'Forget Me Not' tortoise had been taken.

Pictured: The spot where the tortoise is missing.

The 'Forget Me Not' tortoise was designed by Dementia Jersey's Art Exploration group. The words included in the design helps reinforce the charity's commitment to changing attitudes towards dementia.

She only realised when driving past it and saw "there was much too big a gap on one side!"

"I am going to try and put a sign in the space where it has been taken to ask whoever took it to return it so people can get a little pleasure out of looking at it!"

The topper was originally inspired by Durrell's Tortoise Takeover. Funds raised from the auction of the tortoises, which is already live online, will support the construction of the new tropical house for Durrell's endangered reptile and amphibian inhabitants.

Pictured top: The original postbox topper, with all tortoises attached.