The hunt is on for Al Capone.... who is on the run from a garden in Kent.

Police have put out an all points bulletin to hunt down the former America's most wanted man.

But the 'twenties hood has not come back from the grave - it is a lifesize statue of the Chicago gangster who engineered illegal booze rackets during the US prohibition of alcohol.

The real Capone shot to fame as the head of one of the most ruthless and deadly gangs in America.

The missing Capone is a full-size fibre glass replica.

In our picture it is cheekily shown with a glass of wine in its hand, at home in a garden in The Leas, Minster, Sheppey.

Throughout the year, the owner, Mrs Pauline McCook, likes to decorate the statue.

But on Wednesday, December 10, when she went out to put some tinsel and decorations on him for the Christmas festive period she found the statue had been stolen.

It is believed to have been taken sometime since December 1.

Mrs McCook is devastated the statue is missing.

She said: "I have loved the statue since I first set eyes upon it four years ago. He is part of our family and he cheers up everyone who sees him dressed up in his different outfits throughout the year. Christmas and future family events will not be the same without him.

"We haven't told the grandchildren he is missing yet as we know they will be devastated when they find out.

"I just hope that somebody has the decency to give him back or to tell us where he is now."

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may know anything about this theft. PC Jo Morgan who is investigating this case said:

"This is an extremely unusual item to steal and I am sure that there will be people out there who know who stole it and where it is now. The statue is extremely heavy and would have probably needed more than one person to move it."

If you have any information, please contact PC Morgan at Sittingbourne Police station on 01795 419182 quoting reference CY/21320/08 or call Kent Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Will the real Al Capone please stand up?

• Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone lived from January 17, 1899 to January 25, 1947

• Commonly nicknamed Scarface, he was an Italian-American gangster who led a crime syndicate dedicated to the smuggling and bootlegging of liquor and other illegal activities during the Prohibition Era of the 1920s and 1930s

• Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Southwestern Italian imigrants, Capone began his career in Brooklyn before moving to Chicago

• He became the boss of the criminal organisation known as the Chicago Outfit

• By the end of the 1920s, Capone had gained the attention of the FBI after being placed on the Chicago Crime Commission's "public enemies" list

• Capone's criminal career ended in 1931, when he was convicted for income-tax evasion.