Marmaduke and Montmorency have kept a silent guard outside one of Brighton and Hove's most prestigious addresses for 20 years.

But actress-turned-author Sidonie James Bond was heartbroken to discover Montmorency, or Monty, a near life-size statue of a lion, appeared to have heard the call of the wild.

The pair of sculptures have been popular with visitors to Brunswick Terrace where they lent a regal air to the row of Regency houses since Ms Bond moved in.

But now Marmaduke is keeping a lone vigil at the doorway to Number One and has had to be chained up to keep the poachers away.

Ms Bond, who appeared in Z-Cars and The Avengers and is now working on a history of department store Hanningtons, said: "They must have brought ropes and a board to lift him because he's terribly heavy.

"The two lions must be more than 100 years old and are part of our history. In the summer all of the children who walk past come up to stroke them or sit on their backs. My children grew up with them and it was my daughter who named them.

"In the past we've had drunks try to move them but they've never got very far. It's just so sad."

The two lions were originally placed at the gate of a Sussex country house before coming to the coast. They spent some time sitting outside a house in Hanover Crescent, Brighton, before finding their way to Hove.

She said: "I've no idea what anyone else could want with Monty. As well as being very rare he's got a distinguishing mark which means I could tell him apart from any other."

Anyone with information on Monty's whereabouts can contact police on 0845 6070999.

Ms Bond acquired her unusual James Bond surname when her father insisted she be christened James after her grandmother.