Oscar will never leave my house again

Whoopi Goldberg

Goldberg's spokesman Brad Cafarelli said someone had opened the packaging, removed the award and resealed the box.

He said security staff at Ontario, California, airport found the trophy discarded in a bin.

In 2000, 55 statues were stolen as they were being delivered from the manufacturers and later all but three were found in a skip.

Fence

Three men were arrested and convicted of theft, resulting in jail sentences or probation.

All Oscar trophies are numbered and Goldberg's was engraved with her name, making it extremely difficult to sell on without detection.

"I don't know how in the world they would ever fence the darn thing," said Academy spokesman John Pavlik.

Whoopi Goldberg will return as Oscar host for the 2002 ceremony

UPS confirmed the Oscar had been recovered but declined to comment further because the case was under investigation.

Goldberg won her Oscar for her part as the wacky spiritualist Oda Mae Brown in the hit movie Ghost, co-starring alongside Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze.

The star has now had the gold award returned, uncleaned.

"Oscar will never leave my house again," she said.

The 46-year-old is returning to host the 2002 Oscars ceremony after taking a two-year break from the job.

Nominations for the Academy Awards will be announced on 12 February.