Valuable sculpture stolen from London park

LONDON — Thieves have stolen a large bronze sculpture by one of Britain's most important modern sculptors.

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The sculpture by Barbara Hepworth, called "Two Forms (Divided Circle)," was discovered missing Tuesday morning after being ripped from its plinth from south London's Dulwich Park.

The piece was designed in 1969 and had been in the park since 1970, according to a BBC report. It was insured for £500,000, but the price it could collect as scrap metal would only be a fraction of its value as a complete work.

Local government officials said they will ask police and their metal theft unit to investigate the matter immediately.

The theft came after Metropolitan Police on Monday dedicated a unit to tackle those who steal cables and car metal parts for scrap metal — a growing problem as prices for copper, lead and bronze soar.

The BBC says Dame Barbara Hepworth, who died in 1975 in a fire at her studio in St Ives, Cornwall, is considered to be one of the UK's most important modern sculptors, with her work displayed in museums and public spaces around the world.