HAMILTON, Ont. -- Hamilton police believe they've found a heavy antique school bell taken from a children's centre -- in their evidence storage facility.
Acting Staff Sgt. Bryan Grigsby says police checked their files after the bell was reported stolen from the Paradise Corner Children's Centre on Friday night only to discover they'd previously recovered a similar bell.
But he says it may take until Monday morning to gain access to the force's large-item storage building to confirm whether the hunch rings true.
Police say the engravings on the lifted brass bell suggest it was forged in the 1800s by a foundry in the community of Troy, west of Hamilton.
It weighs about 90 kilograms, sits 45 by 60 centimetres and has taken on a green hue over the years.
Grigsby declined to say when police got their hands on the recovered bell, adding a woman from the children's centre -- in a former public school -- who reported the theft has to identify it.
He said the investigation is continuing but sounded a note of optimism that the bells match.
"We're pretty sure it's the bell because how many people have these bells?" Grigsby said.
"The lady is quite excited that we've found the bell."
