MYSTERY surrounds the disappearance of a pink hippo in Bradford.

The brightly coloured litter bin, designed to encourage young ones to clear up after themselves in a community garden at the Sedbergh Youth and Community Centre, Huddersfield Road, Odsal, has gone missing - and now the search is on to find it....

Arnold Butterfield, centre manager at the Sedbergh Youth and Community Centre, says he last saw the bin, donated to them by Bradford charity, Participate Projects, in the play area on Monday. The bin, which was screwed down on to a concrete base, is understood to have gone missing on Monday evening as Arnold noticed it wasn't there on Tuesday.

"We would like it back," he says.

"It is part of our children's play area. We are trying to make a nice little area for younger members of the community to have access to."

Arnold explains that the bright coloured character bin encourages children to clear up after themselves when they have had a drink or snack in the play area.

He says he cannot believe it has gone missing and is eager for it to be returned to the play area where it was installed two months ago.

"It's annoying more than anything else," says Arnold.

He explains they have been developing the play area, within the grounds of the Sedbergh Youth and Community Centre which is part of the sensory garden project, for the past two years. Now he is hoping the hippo will be returned.

If anyone has any information contact the centre on 01274 679843 or email: sedberghcommunitycentre@yahoo.co.uk.