A thief who stole a road sign at the entrance to the Nottinghamshire village of Gotham may have done so because it shares a name with Batman's home city, police believe.
The theft of the sign, which has a white reflective background and bold black writing saying Gotham, is being investigated, the Nottingham Post reported.
A town of the same name is also the fictional home of comic book superhero Batman, played by actor Christian Bale in the most recent film franchise.
The sign was taken from Nottingham Road, between Clifton and Gotham, sometime between Tuesday, February 25, and 9.30am on Thursday, February 27.
Police community support officer Anthony Davies said: "It is of little scrap metal value, so it may be more to do with a prank, particularly given the name on it.
"But it is not a prank because it is going to cost Nottinghamshire County Council money to replace it, so I would ask anyone who knows where the sign is to let us know."
