Bears on Display go missing
Light-fingered shoppers apparently decided it was the 'season of taking' in Singapore, stealing more than 30 teddy bears from HarbourFront Centre's Christmas decoration display.
According to the mall's management, the thefts have been occurring regularly since the decorations were put up early last month. So far, no one has been caught. The shopping centre decided on a bear theme this festive season, decorating its giant Christmas tree and wall wreaths with more than 2,000 stuffed toys. HarbourFront will give the remaining bears to charity organisations Club Rainbow and Pertapis after the decorations are taken down on Jan 7. Ms Jessica Chan, the centre's atriums and promotions manager, said: 'It's a disappointment that bears have been stolen. We'd hoped Singaporeans would have bigger hearts and would take care of public property.' Some shoppers expressed dismay when they heard about the thefts, but others were not surprised. 'There aren't any barriers around the tree, so maybe people thought the bears are Christmas gifts for everyone to take,' said Ms Jade Vu, a 20yearold tourist from Vietnam. Harbour Front said its staff did not put up barricades because they felt it did not make the tree very festive or approachable. However, they did put up a sign warning people about the highvoltage lights on the tree. In the meantime, HarbourFront has ordered an extra 3,000 teddy bears for contest giveaways and in case more bears are stolen By the Straits Times/Asia News Network
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