PATRICK the gargoyle was returned to his Bowral home at the weekend after his owner made a public appeal for the statue’s return.

Narelle Downes offered a reward for the return of one of a pair of concrete gargoyles in the public notices of The Southern Highland News last week, believing St Patrick’s Day revellers had taken the garden feature as a souvenir.

Narelle said the Downes family was “thrilled” to have the gargoyle back “and so is the whole neighbourhood”.

“On Saturday morning a young man and his girlfriend arrived at our house and said they had found him abandoned in Hill Top,” Narelle said.

“There was no damage to him and now he’s back on the gatepost.”

Narelle said she was quietly confident the statue would be reunited with its mate, Jennifer, because there had been overwhelming community support for the family’s quest.

Narelle said she decided to advertise for the return of the gargoyle as it had been difficult for her two children to understand “why someone would come onto our property at night and not do something worse”.

She said Jennifer and Patrick had become a popular feature in the neighbourhood and were often dressed-up by her children for special occasions.