Belly Busters is run by Thomas Sheridan of Froncysyllte and has been established on the north-bound layby of the A483 between Chirk and Ruabon for about a month.

As a marketing tool to get attention and help attract trade, Thomas decided to make a big plywood cut-out of a hefty man.

He undertook the DIY task with enthusiasm and created a 6ft tall figure nicknamed Buster, which proved to be a very effective advertisement for the business.

Unfortunately in the early hours of Sunday morning thieves made off with the kerbside mascot, so now Thomas is appealing for its return.

"It is very disappointing. A lot of time and effort went into creating Buster and he was popular with the people who call in here regularly.

We used to get a lot of them referring to him," said Thomas.

"A number of my customers have asked where he has gone and have been surprised when I told them about the theft."

It took a few days to make Buster, first cutting the basic figure out of plywood and then painting it to bring the character to life.

"I found out he had been taken when I drove past the stand on the way into Wrexham on Sunday.

"Whoever stole him must have been determined because he was bolted on to a stand and chained to a lamppost."

Thomas added he hoped that someone would have information on where Buster had gone and he would be able to retrieve him.

"If anyone does know what has happened to Buster I would ask them to get in contact with me at Belly Busters," he said.