Stolen rare £30,000 Charizard card returned to owner

A stolen rare Pokémon card worth up to £30,000 has been returned to its owner.

The theft of the valuable Charizard is thought to have taken place in Heathfield in East Sussex between 2 and 5 September, police have said.

Sussex Police said it had discovered that the same card, which had been valued and sent back to its owner, was being sold on Facebook.

A search order was issued on an address in Polegate and the stolen collectible was found, police said.

The Pokémon franchise was created in Japan in 1996.

Its characters including Ash and Pikachu are loved by millions around the world and have become video games, films and TV shows.

A 23-year-old man who lived at the property in Polegate was arrested on suspicion of theft.

He admitted to stealing the card and received a caution.

The rare collectible was returned to its owner in Essex.

PC Alan Russell, who handled the investigation, said: “It was a valuable item which meant a lot to the victim.”