Kirkwall retiree appeals for return of beloved buddha

A Kirkwall widow whose beloved buddha statue has gone missing for a second time has said she now feels “very vulnerable” in her own home.

Early in October, June Humphreys reported to police that her statue — bought by her late husband over 25 years ago — had been taken from her garden without her consent.

Days later, Mrs Humphreys was overjoyed to see her buddha returned home, albeit decapitated. The statue had been found by a neighbour in bushes nearby, and the culprits behind the theft and damage were never identified.

But this relief was short-lived, as the 77-year-old woke up this Tuesday morning to find the buddha had been removed once more.

The retiree is now appealing for the return of the much-loved ornament, as police renew appeals for information regarding its removal.

“I have always felt safe in Orkney, but this has left me feeling very vulnerable,” Mrs Humphreys, who has lived in the county for over 20 years, told The Orcadian.

“My husband bought the statue — it must have been over 25 years ago. It’s not got any monetary value really, it just has a lot of memories.”

Over the past quarter of a century, the buddha has stood proudly outside the Humphrey household in Suffolk, Burray, Deerness, and most recently Buttquoy Cresent in Kirkwall. Until this year, there have never been any problems — save it being quite heavy to shift when mowing the lawn.

“It makes you think that you can’t put anything nice in your front garden — and I’ve never felt like that in Orkney before,” added Mrs Humphreys, whose family had purchased CCTV for her after the first incident. Unfortunately, it had not yet been installed when the second removal occurred.

If you have any information regarding the removal of the buddha statue, you are asked to contact Kirkwall Police Station on 101.