Adelaide LGBTIQ bar Marys Poppin says its ‘not OK’ with Pinocchio thief’s brazen on-camera heist

The team behind one of Adelaide’s best known LGBTQI-friendly bars is hoping to serve up some social media justice after one patron’s brazen act. Find out what it was.

The team behind one of Adelaide’s best-known LGBTQI-friendly bars is hoping to serve up some social media justice after a patron brazenly stole the venue’s Pinocchio puppet.

In a post shared to Instagram, Marys Poppin revealed the one-metre figurine had been taken from the bar on Sunday about 12.20am.

“Someone decided to steal our beloved Pinocchio,” they wrote.

“He’s been with us since we opened, eight years ago. We are not OK with this.”

Marys Poppin has launched a search for a missing person. Picture: Instagram

Vodka sodas are on offer for information leading to his safe return. Picture: Instagram

Security camera footage showed a man lift the puppet off the bar before he covered it with a shirt and walked away.

“To the person who took him … you’re banned for life,” the bar posted.

Marys Poppin owner Stephen Craddock said while he was “devastated” over the theft, he wasn’t “mad”.

“Whoever’s taken him clearly saw the charm in our little figurine, but … we’re definitely missing his cheeky presence.

“We’ve got no strings to hold him down, but we do hope he finds his way back to us.”

The bar is offering “some vodka sodas and free entry to Mary’s for any information that leads to the return of our camp little friend”.

Patrons were quick to join the search to bring Pinocchio back to Adelaide’s east end.

“This is why we can’t have nice things,” one club-goer wrote.

“Help them find Pinocchio,” encouraged another

The theft isn’t the first time thieves have been on the nose in SA.

Feathers were ruffled after a Big Bird costume was taken from a local circus in 2021, and two large props from the popular children’s show Bananas in Pyjamas were split from the ABC’s Collinswood studio 10 years ago.