Forget any manhunt, there’s a mass teddy bear hunt underway.

No need for sniffer dogs or helicopters though, hundreds of mum and dads are on the trail to help find one-year-old Jacob Ketchell-Brown’s missing Iggle Piggle.

Jacob had lost the cuddly toy during a teddy bear’s picnic at the Hythe Festival on Tuesday, July 1 at Oaklands Park.

Now organisers of the picnic have emailed 560 parents who took their youngsters to the event to track down the elusive Iggle.

Jacob’s mum, Hayley Brown, said: “This was Jacob’s first picnic. Just as we were leaving we must have dropped and lost Iggle Piggle.

“That day I walked all the way back along the canal retracing our steps but with no luck.
“We hope we can find the family who may have found him.”

Iggle Piggle is a 15cm character with a red blanket from the CBeebies TV Channel In the Night Garden.

Miss Brown, 37, of Winter Drive, Hawkinge, said: “He was bought by Jacob’s grandma especially because he loves this show so much.

“He used to giggle and light up when he saw Iggle Piggle and give him a tight squeeze.”

The picnic had been set up by the Hythe Festival committee but Shirley Johnson, of Hythe Sure Start, who helped run it on the day, put out the email alert.

She said: “The teddy has not been found out we have had a fantastic response from parents, some offering standby Iggle Piggles if the original is not found.”

Jacob had been at the picnic with both Miss Brown and his grandma Jennie Brown.
The family had moved to Shepway from Lewes in Sussex just last May.

BLOB. If Iggle Piggle is found he should be brought to the Sure Start base a Hythe Bay Children’s Centre at at Cinque Ports Avenue, telephone 01303 267802.