Artist's plea for return of paintings

Newtown artist Brian Jones has issued a public plea through MyNewtown for the safe return of three of his early paintings stolen from a Newtown business last month.

Mr Jones, who has been painting scenes in and around Newtown for 50 years, said the paintings stolen Humphreys Garage in Severn Square had great sentimental value as they depicted some of his early work.

The paintings had been on display in one of the garage's widnows for a number of years after being resuced during the renovation of the Ball Room at the Elephant and Castle Hotel when it was bought from the Varley family.

"I had a series of commissions in the 1970s for large paitnigns of local landmarks and scenes for board rooms and businesses in the town.

Mr Geoff Varley, the then owner of the Elephant and Castle also commissioned me to do some paintings for his hotel's Ball Room where they were on display for many years.

"When the hotel was taken over the pictures were rescued and taken to the garage where they have been on display since. A lot of people ask about them in the garage and offer to buy them. But Pete the owners won't sell them."

Mr Jones said the paintings were very sentimental to him as they showed his early work. "They remind me of how my work has moved on and I'd look at them each time I passed them."

The thieves broke into the garage sometime Saturday, 4th and Sunday, 5th January, selecting three of the four paintings on display.

"I'd urge anyone who knows where they are to contact the police," said Mr Joes who lives in Milford Road, Newtown. He said whoever took them or had them could also leave them somewhere safe where they could be found if necessary.

Mr Jones' work can be seen on his website, www.brianjonesartist.co.uk.

Caption: One of the paintings of Newtown taken from Humphreys Garage, Severn Square, Newtown, and artist, Brian Jones who has pleaded for the return of three stolen paintings.