THE owner of a pub and restaurant in Saddleworth is appealing for the safe return of a letter 's' stolen from a sponsorship sign at a cricket club - which has left behind a rude result.

Thieves with a wicked sense of humour are thought to have struck at Delph and Dobcross Cricket Club of the Huddersfield Cricket League sometime on Sunday and to have stolen the 's' from a sign which once read Old Bells End. 

Phil Whiteman, the owner of The Old Bell Inn a hundred yards or so down Huddersfield Road, said it was inevitable the sponsorship sign might be targeted after it received a lot of attention on social media at the start of the month.

The Oldham Times: The 's' was stolen with a rude result.The 's' was stolen with a rude result.

A post by the pub and restaurant on March 8 said: "We're delighted to be sponsoring the wonderful Delph and Dobcross Cricket Club again this year, with new signage around the ground, good luck for the new season."

And Phil, who has owned the Old Bell Inn for more than 20 years, told The Oldham Times: "The reason we did it was to support the cricket club, but it's caused a bit of a commotion.

"We got a lot of comments that it should have an apostrophe, and now someone's nicked the 's'. It was inevitable.

"I'm not devastated. Everyone's taken the p***, which I get, but that's where we are with it. We want the 's' back."

The clock is ticking for the Delph and Dobcross Cricket Club to locate the letter and restore the respectability of the sign, as the new season of the Huddersfield Cricket League's Premiership starts in less than a month.

But the comments on social media since The Old Bell Inn issued its appeal are less than helpful, to say the least.

One commenter said: "You asked for it."

And another commenter said: Oh, what a _hame. Who could have po__ibly done _uch a _elfi_h thing? I hope they catch the little _hit_."