Paintings stolen from Bournemouth gallery in overnight raid

Expensive paintings were stolen from a Bournemouth gallery - a day before the gallery was set to close.

Between 5.45pm on Thursday September 27 and 10am on Friday September 28. around 14 paintings were grabbed from The Moontree Gallery, Sea Road, Boscombe.

Paintings were stolen from The Moontree Gallery in Boscombe
The items were estimated to be valued at over £6,000

Along with the paintings, an Amethyst Crystal Cave ornament and two charity boxes were taken by the thieves, with the total of the items valued at over £6,000.

The thieves entered the gallery from the lobby of neighbouring flats, and broke down two locked doors. Debora and David Robinson discovered what had happened when they opened for business the next day.

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The gallery also doubled as a Holistic Health Centre.

A statement from Moontree said: "Moontree will continue. We will no longer have our own gallery or treatment rooms, but Deborah and David will show their work in exhibitions elsewhere, our workshops and events will still run in other venues, and Deborah, Celia and Benjamin will still treat their clients.

"We were saddened and distressed, however, by the horrible events of the day before, which have made our final days in Boscombe so stressful."

A light coloured Ford transit type van was seen in the area at the time of the incident, and police are urging witnesses to come forward.

Police Constable Nicola Robinson of Bournemouth Police said: "A large number of items were stolen during this theft, and the majority are of great sentimental and financial value to the owners.

"A number of the paintings stolen are acrylic canvases and depict 'fantasy' like scenes, so they are quite distinctive.

"Some also have the artist's initials DGR and a small picture of a bee on them.

"I urge anyone who has information about this incident, who may have seen something suspicious or has been offered any paintings in unusual circumstances to contact us as soon as possible on 101 in the strictest confidence."