Two large metal dinosaur sculptures have been recovered from woodland after being stolen from a garden more than five years ago.
Alison Broady had been storing the pieces of artwork in her garden in Buxton, Derbyshire, for the creator, Andy Hill, when they were taken in September 2019.
Staff from the environmental and heritage charity Buxton Civic Association were clearing vegetation in Wye Head Wood, where they stumbled across what they thought was fly-tipping.
Ms Broady said: “I couldn’t believe it – I was on holiday and when I came back one of my neighbours said ‘it looks like those dinosaurs have turned up’.”
After a tricky journey to get them out of the woods and into a truck, staff at the charity took them back to their base at Poole’s Cavern for safekeeping.
Not knowing who they belonged to, the charity contacted Derbyshire Police. Word got out and Ms Broady was told by a neighbour about the discovery.
“I went straight up to Poole’s Cavern, asked if I could see them and there they were – looking almost as good as new despite the fact they’d been in undergrowth for five years,” she said.
Initial plans are in place to keep them on display at the centre for members of the public to enjoy.
Mr Hill, the artist who created the sculptures, said: “The biggest thing that worried me was that somebody might have stolen them for scrap.
“That was the most horrible thought… it’s nice to think that somebody might have stolen them because they wanted them.”
A Derbyshire Police spokesperson added: “We were made aware on 7 October that a number of dinosaur sculptures that were stolen from the garden of a property in Buxton in 2019 have been located.
“The items were discovered by Buxton Civic Association during a routine check of some nearby woods.”