IN the early hours of August 6, a Henry Moore sketch and two oil paintings were stolen from Trinity House on the High Street in Broadway, south Worcestershire.
It is thought the pictures were taken at around 1.50am. Four
young men in dark clothing and hats were seen running off towards
The Green.
The stolen works, thought to be worth around £230,000, include a
Henry Moore crayon, pen and ink sketch titled, Three Reclining
Figures On Pedestals, an oil by Dorothea Sharp titled In
the Lily Garden, with a painting called On the Sand
Dune, also by Sharp, on the reverse, and Edward Seago's oil
Thames Barges at Low Water, Pin Mill.
Simon Shore, co-owner of Trinity House, who will open a second
gallery in Mayfair in November, said: "If there is an attempt to
sell them on, these instantly recognisable paintings by well-known
British artists will be worthless on the open market."
Anyone with information can contact West Mercia Police on 0300
333 3000, quoting 52S/060810, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on
0800 555 111.
• On the same night, two oil paintings were also stolen from a
private home on Main Street, Wymondham, near Melton Mowbray in
Leicestershire.
The incident happened between 7.15pm on August 5 and 12.15am on
August 6, when the occupants returned to find the back door
open.
The two paintings taken were Sportsman in landscape by
the British artist William Nedham (d.1849), a 21in x 2ft 8in (53 x
81cm) oil on canvas of a bay horse in a landscape in a simple
gilded frame, and a landscape oil of moorlands with ducks flying
over a lake and cows in the foreground, and oak leaf decoration to
the gilt frame.
Detective Constable Lee Fowler, the investigating officer, said:
"We have spoken to members of the Wymondham community and to local
art and antique dealers, but now we are appealing to the wider
public.
"We would also like to appeal to art and antique dealers further
afield who we haven't already spoken to. If you are approached by
anyone trying to sell you the pictures then please call us
immediately."
Anyone with any information is asked to contact DC 395 Lee
Fowler on Leicester (0116) 222 2222, follow the instructions to
leave a message for a police officer and when prompted key in the
officer's identification number 0395. Alternatively contact
Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
• Meanwhile in an unconnected development, two Hertfordshire
women have set up a website where victims of theft can list their
stolen items and anyone seeing something suspicious can check to
see if the item is stolen.
Angela Jefferson and Carol Smith launched www.itsbeennicked.co.uk at
the end of June with the insistence that all items listed must
first be reported stolen to the local police and an incident number
obtained. This is for the user's own safety as the site does not
allow the publication of personal details.
Mrs Jefferson originally had the idea when she became fed up
with thefts from the farm she ran with her husband.
She told ATG: "Once you have reported the theft you can upload a
photo and a description of your missing item instantly. It can be
on the website within minutes with no time wasted at all. Our local
police have been very supportive and helpful with setting up the
site."
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