Canada’s capital has been gripped by the curious theft of a famed portrait of Winston Churchill from Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier hotel.

Staff noticed on August 19 the frame of the picture did not match the frames of 14 other photographs by Yousuf Karsh, with it quickly confirmed to be replica.

It’s now thought the theft took place some eight months ago!

“It would have been easy for somebody to go in, swap it, and walk out with it – very easy,” Sandra Plagakis, who hosts the breakfast show at Kiss Ottawa, told Ross and Russel.

Press PLAY below to hear her explain why!

(Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)