Womad’s ‘M’ is missing

The Taranaki Arts Festival Trust is appealing for the return of its missing letter ‘‘M’’ after it was apparently stolen over the weekend.

The M was one of the five colourful letters making up the name Womad, the World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival, which returns to the city’s Brooklands Park March 17-19 next year.

For weeks the letters have stood on the grass outside the Plymouth International Hotel, on Northgate/state Highway 3, where they were seen by thousands of drivers heading into the city each day.

But sometime overnight on Saturday, someone made off with the bright yellow letter M and also tried to take the W, Rebecca Johnson, Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (Taft) marketing and communications manager, said.

‘‘The W was dismantled and left in the garden but they definitely got the M and made off with it.’’

Johnson said the theft had been reported to the police but Taft was hoping the culprit would have a change of heart and bring the letter back. Taft pulled up the W, O, A and D yesterday morning and put them in storage.

The trust has four sets of Womad letters, which are displayed at various locations, and although people often take them away they are soon returned.

Johnson said the letters were about 10 years old and cost $300 each to make, although replacing them would probably be more expensive. ‘‘We are appealing to get it back.’’

She urged anyone who knew the whereabouts of the missing M to contact police or get in touch with the Taft office, in Brougham St, on 06 759 8412.