Kidnapped scarecrow family is back home

A family of Mareeba scarecrows are back in their rightful place after being stolen from outside their Emerald Creek, Australia, home a week ago. Jake, Lucy, their boy Jed and baby Joy were found in a side road near their home in bits and pieces on Saturday morning.

Over the years the growing scarecrow family have developed a life of their own, providing endless fascination for passing motorists and members of the local community. Last week, Warren Burton, who built the scarecrows, and his wife Nyree, pleaded for the people who snatched their "family" to return them "no questions asked". At the weekend their wish was granted.



"They weren’t in a flash condition," said Warren, who spent 20 hours putting them back together again. "It was a bit distressing to see them in that condition but it is good to have them home again."

Nyree said she thought the people who took the scarecrows did not want to be found with them, with so many people knowing about what had happened. "I think maybe they didn’t know the whole story behind Jake and Lucy and maybe they thought ‘Oops, maybe we were wrong to have taken them’." They were a bit broken and bruised but she was "just happy to have them back".