A firm of estate agents is appealing for information after one of its houses was stolen.
Staff who work for Martin & Co in Leicester fear the wool has been pulled over their eyes after a novelty knitted house was lifted from a bollard outside their shop in Clarendon Park.
Steve Buttery, the managing director, said the well-known "Crotched House" went missing earlier this month.
Steve said: "There is a wool shop a couple of doors down from us in Queens Road and they had lovely knitted tops on the bollards in the road.
"They soften the look of the bollards and brighten the place up."
Steve decide to commission a knitted creation of his own – and the obvious choice was a house.
He said: "I asked them to knit me a house so we could join in the fun and position it outside our office.
"The house has become quite famous and we have even had people posing with it and having their picture taken with it.
"It was a real feature and brought a bit of colour into the lives people who walked down the street."
He said the theft was discovered on October 4 when a member of staff went outside to fetch the Crotched House in for the night.
He said: "We used to put it out every morning and then bring it in every night.
"One evening at 5.30pm it was not there. It is upsetting and I hope someone took it for a joke and it is safe and sound somewhere."
Fiona Gamble, who works at Knit One, took a day and half to create the house.
She said: "It was not that straightforward. I had to reinforce it with chicken wire and polystyrene – I was proud of it.
"It is sad that someone thinks they can just walk off with it."
The theft is featured on a community Facebook site Clarendon Park Summer Fair and people have posted about their distress at the crime.
Abi Wilkes posted: "That's really rubbish. Hope it 8 returned unharmed soon."
Suzy Dann said: "Arh, that made us smile when I walked past it..... Shame."
Amy Pabla posted: "Oh no loved that lil house it made me smile everytime i drove by ;-( "
Steve said that he has not called the police and only wants the house to be returned.
He said: "If someone could put it back that would be great. It would be a no-questions asked basis.
"We just want the Crocheted House back where it belongs, and as safe as houses."
