You couldn’t make it up

Garden gnomes looking for their owners. Here’s quick translation (bear with me, it’s a long time since I did this).

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges police are organising an open day on Monday in order to return over sixty garden gnomes stolen from gardens. They were discovered in 2001 and have not yet been claimed by their owners.

Most of the statues, taken from the Les Vosges region, were discovered at the end of 2001 on the steps of Saint-Dié cathedral or abandoned in the street.

The theft was claimed by the National Garden Gnome Liberation Front (FLNJ), who also claimed responsibility for several other thefts of garden gnomes later found in locations across France, especially in front of public buildings.

The Saint-Dié police has organised several open days days since 2001 but over sixty of the gnomes are still waiting to be reclaimed by their owners, said a police spokesman.

Owners must bring proof of ownership such as a photo or receipt.

Garden dwarfs were the target of numerous thefts and jokes between 1990 and 2002.

[via Sophie]

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