The head of Falkirk Football Club's mascot, Fergus Fox, has been stolen in a break in at the team's stadium at Westfield.
The theft happened at the end of August, but has only recently come to light. The club had thought that the costume had been mislaid, but it since emerged that it was actually missing.
The club suffered a break in in August, and it was thought that nothing had been taken, but the costume, which was stored behind an unlocked door near the players' tunnel had been taken. The loss only emerged when the club tried to locate it at the start of the season.
A Central Scotland Police spokeswoman said: "The theft of the large fox costume head has only recently come to light and been reported to us.
"We appeal for anyone with information to come forward. And if anybody has seen anything suspicious they should contact us."
A spokesperson for the club said: "It is a very expensive there are very few companies who make these costumes."
"They are made by a theatrical costumier in Manchester and the main cost is the head."
The club adopted the fox mascot in September 2006. Falkirk FC were one of the few clubs in the SPL without a mascot, and decided to go for the fox as the club was at the time having problems with foxes coming in and digging up the pitch.
The mascot normally appears before games as part of the pre-match entertainment and appeared at the Cup Final in May 2009 against Rangers at Hampden.
The club are looking in to replacing the head and hope that the mascot will make a reappearance again soon.
