A Norwich landlord has issued a heartfelt plea for the return of his pintsize partner after it was snatched from his pub.

Missing after a night in the pub: a six-inch wooden monkey called Nick.

A Norwich landlord has issued a heartfelt plea for the return of his pintsize partner after it was snatched from his pub.

The figurine – one of three modelled on the wise monkeys who hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil – had pride of place on display in the Surrey Tavern.

They were named after the pub's three landlords, brothers David, Nick and Dan Hubbard, but the trio noticed that monkey Nick – speak no evil – had gone missing over the weekend.

Last night, Mr Hubbard last night made a direct and impassioned appeal for his namesake to come home.

'Just get in touch – we miss you,' he said.

'I feel like half a person without him, and I'm sure he feels the same without me.'

The models were a gift for the brothers from their mother when they took over the Surrey Street pub last June, and were handcarved in the Caribbean.

'They have been with us from the very start, ever since we've been at the pub,' said the 32-year-old.

'They came all the way from Jamaica, so I suppose they are priceless in a way.'

Mr Hubbard broke news of the theft on Twitter, with word spreading quickly and tweeters promising to find the missing monkey.

And despite Mr Hubbard quizzing monkey Nick's two simian siblings, they have so far been unable to offer any clues as to his whereabouts.

'They are heartbroken without their brother,' he said.

'One of them is upset he didn't see anything, and the other one didn't hear anything. They are distraught.'

But even if monkey Nick does find his way back home, Mr Hubbard fears the full story of his disappearance may forever remain a mystery.

'He's the speak-no-evil monkey, so if he's been up to no good he won't even be able to tell us about it,' he said.

Mr Hubbard admitted he was frustrated at the theft, but said the pub was operating a 'monkey amnesty' until Nick's return.

'You don't expect people to help themselves to things from around the pub.

'But as long as we get him back safe and unharmed we won't take things any further,' he said. 'There will be no prosecutions.'

Anyone with information leading to the safe return of monkey Nick will be rewarded with a free drink or two, said Mr Hubbard.

'We just want a safe return. We just want him back unharmed,' he said.