Residents of a small rural community near Abergavenny are keen to track down the ‘moron’ who has stolen the dog in a top hat that took pride of place in the old phone box.

Five years ago the telephone kiosk at Pencroesoped, near Llanover was in danger of being removed by BT but was ‘saved’ by local resident Colin Hercock who, since then, has painted the outside and decorated the inside according to the seasons.

The kiosk has fans on social media all over the world and is greatly admired by passers by, who frequently take photographs.

Recently, between special events, it has been inhabited by a large toy St Bernard wearing a variety of different hats.

But last week the dog was stolen, complete with his 1920s topper.

“I’m not sure if the moron concerned is capable of reading but I would just like to let him/her know what a pathetic person they must be,” said one of Colin’s neighbours in a letter to the Chronicle. “There’s enough sadness already in the world without them adding to it!”

The phone box is on the country lane directly outside Colin’s home and he likes to jazz it up ‘for a bit of fun’.

“I’ll do things like hearts and flowers for Valentine’s Day, lights and a tree for Christmas, cobwebs and spiders for Halloween and so on.

“In summer it’s filled with tomato and cucumber plants which people can pick. Between times the dog is in there wearing various headgear like an Easter bonnet, flat cap or top hat,” he explained.

When Colin moved to Monmouthshire five years ago the box was derelict and overrun with brambles and there was a notice inside saying that BT would be taking it away. But he persuaded the council to adopt it for £1 and has looked after it ever since.

“I found out from BT how it should be painted, then got hold of the grey undercoat and the right shade of red paint and spent weeks rubbing it down and doing it properly.

“After they came and removed the old phone I started decorating the empty space for special occasions. It’s been amusing for a lot of people to see what the next theme will be. I also painted a traditional crown on the top.”

Colin says he doubts if he’ll see the dog in the hat again, although he’s reported the incident to the police.

“I think the thief must be a sad person. The top hat was a 1920s original and the dog had some retro value too but it’s not about the money.

“I think these old phone boxes are landmarks that should be cherished. I’ve put so much work into this one, and I like to think the way it’s decorated puts a smile on people’s faces.”