Thieves take the laptop that animates him

Children’s comedy favourite Little Howard has been stolen.

Or at least the laptop comedian Howard Read – aka Big Howard – uses to create his animated six-year-old sidekick has.

The computer was taken from a central London pub last night, where Read was celebrating following the Radio 4 Christmas party.

He said: ‘I turned round and saw that my bag was missing. My first thoughts were, “Little Howard’s gone”. I felt sick. I run all my live shows from that laptop.’

‘I had just finished animating for Little Howard’s first role in panto and I’m not sure how much of that has been backed up.’

Both Howards are starring in Aladdin at the Eric Morecambe Theatre in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, from next week. It is believed to be the first pantomime to feature live animation on stage – but the computer theft has thrown the production into disarray.

‘It’s technically quite complicated to do,’ said one crew member. ‘And the whole thing depends on the files on that laptop.’

The laptop bag – taken from the Crown and Sceptre pub in Great Titchfield Street – also contained his diary and notepad, which contained the first drafts of a new character in development.

‘They are of no use to anyone else but my drawings are my livelihood,’ he said. ‘I also have no idea what I’m meant to be doing for the next year so if I don’t turn up you know why.’

Read has vowed to spend the next week reanimating all the missing scenes so the show can go on.

Published: 7 Dec 2011