A MAN will give a £1,000 reward to anyone who will help find a tiny garden gnome that has gone missing.

Earlier this month colourful gnomes, created by the anonymous artist Athirty4's, were dotted all around Oxford to address the issue of 'disappearing front gardens'.

The gnomes were also placed on top of the Low Traffic Neighborhood barriers, as the artists believes the LTNs are a force of good to help combat paved gardens.

Last week, however, one of the gnomes, which is dressed in a police uniform and known to locals as PC Plod, disappeared - many believing he had been stolen.

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Now a prize of over £1,000 is going for anyone who can return it.

But the main question is why has somebody offered the £1,000 as a reward? 

The reward money will be provided by the electronic music producer and DJ known as Scaramanga Silk, who is from London.

When asked why he decided to donate £1,000 to find a small gnome that had gone missing in Oxford, he said it was because he had also gone through something similar.

The DJ told the Oxford Mail: "Having personally experienced gnome theft, I was moved by the story of PC Plod.

"Athirty4 is doing important work with his ‘disappearing gardens’ project.

"PC Plod is symbolic of the artist’s message, so whoever has him, please return him safely as soon as possible."

When Scaramanga Silk was just eight years old, living in Surrey, his gnome was stolen.

He said this experience encouraged him to help the Oxford artists search for PC Plod.

The gnome went missing from the top of one of the LTN barriers on Salegate Lane in Cowley.

Signs and posters have appeared all over the area, asking if residents have seen the tiny figure.

Read more here: £1,000 reward for the safe return of LTN gnome in Cowley

Shortly after it disappeared, someone from the neighbourhood placed a poster saying 'RIP PC Plod' in its place.

Another poster asked passers-by if they have 'seen PC Plod' after he had been 'abducted'.

The artist said their 'personal feeling is that the gnome has been destroyed'.

Anyone who finds the gnome has been asked to email athirty4@yahoo.com or message @Athirty4 on social media.