Theft puts artist in Picasso bracket

Tony Heald, 72, was showing his work at Munster City Hall, but one of the pieces – worth around £2,100 – was taken from the display in daylight.

He said: “It’s a sickener. It was quite embarrassing for the city which invited me to exhibit there.

“It was part of a series of drawings, watercolours and acrylics based on my experiences working behind the scenes in the theatre there.

“We set the exhibition up in the morning, came back by 3.30pm for the grand opening, and were having a coffee when my agent said ‘you’ll never believe this – one of the paintings has been stolen’.

“I couldn’t sleep that night, but I think the German art thieves have got good taste, as it was one of the better ones.

“It’s one of the few places in the city of Munster that doesn’t have cameras. The police are looking into it.”

Mr Heald, from Doncaster Road in Ardsley, has been exhibiting his artwork in Germany since 2005. He also joked that the theft put him in the same bracket as artists such as Munch and Picasso, who famously had works stolen. picture: chris lawton.