A CHILDREN'S charity today made a desperate plea for a stolen 3ft Easter egg to be returned before the fundraising event leaves the city.

Thieves poached the designer fibre-glass egg – worth around £10,000 – from its plinth in Glasgow city centre on Friday, just hours after it went on display.

As revealed by the Evening Times, the egg, pictured, was part of a nationwide Easter egg hunt organised by the Action for Children charity.

The eggs will leave Glasgow tonight and travel back to Covent Garden, in London, in time for Easter.

Andrew Harris, the charity's director of fundraising, said: "We have set our egg timer for tonight, when our eye-catching eggs will make a midnight flit to London for the grand finale of the egg hunt.

"We would like this event to stay sunny side up so please, if you know anything about our poached egg – get in touch."

More than 100 giant Easter eggs designed by leading artists were put on display across Glasgow as part of a nationwide tour.

Designed by artist Matthew Dent, the egg – No53 A Thousand Forests – was nabbed by thieves from its plinth outside St George's Tron Church in Nelson Mandela Place at Buchanan Street.

Police said a 3ft-tall plastic rabbit was also stolen from nearby St Enoch Square.

Ultimately, the giant designer eggs will be auctioned online, with all proceeds going to Action for Children.

The scheme raised more than £1million last year.

rebecca.gray@ eveningtimes.co.uk