Balou the bear is back where he belongs

It’s the bear hunt that gripped Stratford – and Balou has finally been reunited with his relieved owner after a week on the run.

The large teddy bear usually sits outside the children’s fashion shop that bears his name in Bell Court but, as the Herald exclusively revealed, the mascot unexpectedly disappeared last week.

But now he's back and Banayioda Theodorou is happy he was found. She said: “So many people were talking about Balou going missing.

“His glasses are missing and he needs a bit of a clean-up but he’ll be back at the shop. We’ve had loads of children asking where he was and all our customers have been really supportive.

For the full story of how Balou made his way home, see today's Herald.