Stolen Lewis Dunk football boot returned to Brighton pub

The Caxton Arms in North Gardens, Brighton, issued an appeal after the boot, signed by the Albion captain, was ripped from a wall dedicated to the Seagulls.

In a post on social media, the pub put out a message to the “drunk” thief and said: “You may have found it amusing ripping the signed Lewis Dunk football [boot] that was screwed to the wall, you may even try and sell it on eBay, but we would love to have it back.”

The theft was believed to have taken place sometime on Saturday, February 10.

The pub later confirmed they had CCTV footage of the thief “yanking the boot off the wall after a few attempts” and said they would not release the video if the boot was brought back by the end of the week “no questions asked”.

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After a four-day appeal to the public, The Caxton Arms confirmed that the boot had been returned and the thief had called the pub to apologise.

The unnamed perpetrator also donated money to the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.

A spokesman for the pub said: “The person who stole the Lewis Dunk football boot has called the pub to apologise.

“They donated a generous amount to the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, the charity of our choice, who we will be doing lots for in the next couple of months.

“All is now good.”

The Caxton Arms in North Gardens, Brighton (Image: Supplied)

People took to social media to applaud the pub for the way they handled the situation.

One person on X, formerly Twitter, said: "Well played, no naming and shaming - just good ol' decency by dealing with it like an adult. Seems so rare nowadays."

Originally three small cottages, the Caxton Arms first opened in 1862 and is named after William Caxton, an English merchant and printer credited for introducing the printing press into England in the 15th Century.

The pub has been a popular haunt among Albion fans for their Europa League matches.

Lewis Dunk, 32, has been at Brighton since he was a schoolboy and has scored 30 goals for the club.