Stolen Lord Ernest Rutherford statue recovered after man jumps into flooding river to evade police

Lord Rutherford memorial at Brightwater has been restored to its site near. Photo / Jane King

A 35-year-old man has been arrested after a statue of Lord Ernest Rutherford was stolen from a memorial site in Brightwater, near Nelson, on Friday.

The statue has been recovered after a local police officer, Constable Jamie White, jumped into the flooding Wai-iti River after a man who was evading arrest.

A police spokesperson said a 35-year-old man was arrested and charged in relation to the theft, while the statue has been returned to the memorial site.

"Lord Ernest Rutherford is one of our most highly regarded New Zealanders and a great scientist of the 20th century.

"The memorial honours his legacy and is frequented by both locals and tourists alike, so to see the memorial damaged in such a senseless way was extremely upsetting for Police and the Brightwater community."

Neither party were injured after jumping into the river and were able to get themselves back to shore safely.

"We'd like to thank the local community for their assistance in providing information to Police which ultimately helped us find the statue," the spokesperson said.

"It shows the great work that can happen when police and our communities work together."