An artist is appealing to the community to keep their eyes peeled for two of her prized paintings which were stolen from Putney Arts Theatre.

Jessica Hall, of Wimbledon, had two artworks pinched from the Ravenna Road theatre on September 10 on the eve of an exhibition showcasing local talent.

However audacious thieves took the paintings, worth £1,250 in total, from the theatre in broad daylight.

Ms Hall said: “The larger one is 90cm wide so someone must have noticed a person walking away with a painting under their arm.

“The work was apparently still on the wall at 1.30pm, but the next time the venue manager went into the exhibition space later that afternoon, the pieces had disappeared and the back door was wide open.

“The show hadn't even opened yet.”

The paintings - titled An Encyclopaedia of Needlework and 70 Colours plus Sky: He took me to Montserrat - are worth £795 and £450 respectively.

As a result of the burglary, the 32-year-old has removed her paintings from the Putney Arts Theatre fearing further thefts.

Ms Hall, who originally grew up in Hong Kong, said: “It's very strange as they have absolutely no resale value whatsoever because I am a relatively unknown artist.

“The theft has left me so upset that I have removed the rest of my works from the show, so I've lost the opportunity to sell any of my work.

“Ultimately, I have lost many months work, and am devastated. No-one else's work has been taken, just mine, so it has clearly been targeted for some reason.

“Artists don't tend to earn very much, and to lose months of work in this way is horrible.”

Wandsworth police have been informed and their burglary squad are investigating the theft.

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