The bronze statue will require some repair work

The statue of a girl was sawn off a three tonne stone plinth in the gardens of Plas Glyn-y-Weddw gallery near Llanbedrog during a night-time raid last Thursday.

The gallery had not held out much hope of ever seeing the safe return of the nude, called Louise, which was a gift from Welsh artist Sir Kyffin Williams.

But after being missing for three days, the statue was handed in anonymously at Pwllheli police station.

"She was handed in through Crimestoppers," said Caroline Williams, the gallery's marketing officer.

She means more to us than the cost - she is a symbol of the gallery Jilli Whipp, Plas Glyn-y-Weddw

"We aren't sure yet whether she is badly damaged but the artist has said she will need some repair work because the frame that held her in place was damaged.

"We are over the moon - we didn't think we'd ever see her again," she added.

The piece is the work of sculptor David Williams-Ellis and was given to the gallery by Sir Kyffin Williams and Cardiff gallery owner, Mary Yapp.

The statue stands 32 inches high and is valued at �25,000.

Official logo

The gallery had adopted the statue as their official logo after receiving the gift.

The theft was discovered when staff arrived for work on Friday.

"When Kyffin Williams announced he was donating the piece during an exhibition of his work last November we were delighted and decided to rebrand the gallery around the statue," said gallery secretary Jilli Whipp.

"Louise became our centre point and we redesigned our logo, based on her.

Plas Glyn-y-Weddw gallery is one of the area's main art centres

"She is on all our invitations, letters, literature and our website.

"She means more to us than the cost," added Ms Whipp.

"She is a symbol of the gallery and of the future of Glyn-y-Weddw."

Royal Academician Kyffin Williams was adamant that the statue should stay in Wales whatever happened to the gallery.

The statue was only placed in the gardens in March, having been housed in the gallery before that.

Thieves sawed through a foot-long bolt to release the statue from the rock in front of the galley.