Paintings Stolen

We are appealing for any information which will help in the return of two of Pollyanna’s original paintings which have been stolen from a gallery in Lincolnshire.

During a night-time raid on the Roundhouse Gallery in Spalding Lincolnshire, thieves stole over £100,000 of original paintings and sculpture, including two of Pollyanna’s canvases with a combined value of over £8,000. Five of Pollyanna’s books with a retail value of £25.00 each were also taken.

The paintings stolen, ‘Where eagles Dare’ (above)and ‘Merlin Moor’ (below ) are both very large original works of art. This type of art theft is extremely unusual, as it is very difficult for thieves to realise the value such large and distinctive art works on the open market – reputable galleries and auction houses will require provenance, and will be very suspicious of collections of valuable artwork form a previously unknown source. It therefore appears that the paintings were either stolen to order, or have possibly been taken abroad for sale, by a ring of highly organised art thieves.

However the police are appealing for any sightings of the paintings being offered for sale either here or abroad – or of course via the Internet, as well as for any other information which may be relevant to the enquiry.

If you should see the artwork, or have any other information which you feel may be of interest, you can contact D.C. Ellis at Spalding C.I.D. 01775 722233 ext 2642. or the Art and antiques Unit of the Metropolitan Police 020 7230 2150 or artandantiques@met.police.uk