He's back! Iconic Route 66 highway patrol statue returned to its owners

The iconic statue is back outside the Route 66 store in Newmarket. Photo / Supplied

The iconic Route 66 highway patrol officer statue that was taken last Saturday, after 25 years standing outside the Newmarket store, has been returned.

The fibreglass statue is in good condition and the Route 66 store owner says he is "pleased to see him returned".

"Thanks to CCTV cameras dotted along Broadway, it was all captured on film and it didn't take the police long at all to arrange the safe return of this iconic Newmarket personality," Todd Male told the Herald.

"A thank you to Mark Knoff-Thomas from the NBA (Newmarket Business Association), who also helped to negotiate with 'the other party'," he added.

The statue, a Newmarket landmark, was taken in the early hours of Saturday morning, after shop owner Todd Male forgot to take it inside before closing the shop on Friday.

"I'm devastated, frankly," he told the Herald at the time.

CCTV footage shows the statue was taken at 6.30am on Saturday by two male construction workers.

"They picked it up and took it to the train station and stashed it down an alleyway," the shop owner said. "Then they're seen on CCTV walking across to the construction site, probably to start work."

Male imported the statue from Arizona 25 years ago and has kept it outside his store since then. He says the highway patrol officer that's become "a bit of an identity" in Newmarket.