THIEVES have made off with a sculpture of a "minion" from a property in Prouses Road.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Steve Lummis, who suffers from motor neurone disease, built the sculpture from an old LPG gas bottle and "a few bits of steel I had lying around".
"I actually started making it as a shed heater and it turned into a minion," he said.
"I just like them."
Mr Lummis said the sculpture, which is based on a character from the Despicable Me film series, had been a popular attraction for children in the area before it was stolen.
"It was actually going to be hired out for a kid's birthday in April," he said.
Mr Lummis' girlfriend Leanne Smith said the sculpture had taken him about a week to make all up.
"He spent hours making it, he’s got MND and he’s losing his ability to make things," she said.
"He's used to being a hard worker but now he can’t do that, so he really liked it.
"It's a popular thing and it's one of the things that he made up just to be a happy soul.
"The kids love going past and seeing it."
Mr Lummis' neighbour Jo Haynes, who has been canvassing social media in an effort to find the lost minion, said the whole neigbourhood was disappointed with what had happened.
"It’s designed as a heater but it’s painted so if it’s used it would burn all the paint off, so if they go and use it they’ll ruin it," she said.
"He’s such a great person, he’d do anything for anyone and for someone to do this to him is horrible."
When he's not constructing cartoon characters Mr Lummis is working on fully restoring a green 1976 Mazda RX4.
"He's a man on a mission," Ms Smith said.
"He wants to get it done and drive it before he goes anywhere, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen."
The sculpure is believed to have been taken sometime between 4pm Saturday and 4pm Sunday.
Anyone with information on the theft should call Bendigo Police on 5448 1300 or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.