Monday, October 29, 2007

Stolen Art Watch, Lowry Theft TV Plea or Smoke-Screen to Protect Informant !!



Art raid terror on Crimewatch


Brian Lashley
29/10/2007

A FAMILY'S terrifying ordeal during a raid on their home, in which Lowry paintings worth more than £1.5m were stolen, is to be shown on Crimewatch tonight.

Louise Aird, 40, opened the door of her home in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, to what she thought was the postman - but up to four knife-wielding raiders stormed in.

Her husband, Ivan, 41, was tied up, and the men threatened to kill their two-year-old daughter, Sabrina.

The gang escaped with a haul of valuable paintings, including one titled The Viaduct worth more than £700,000 and another called the Tanker Entering The Tyne said to be worth up to £600,000.

Mr Aird is a leading collector of works by Salford painter Lowry, who had been a family friend. A reconstruction of the robbery on May 3 is to be shown on the BBC 1programme Crimewatch at 9pm.

Det Con Carolann Eaton, from Greater Manchester Police's major incident team, said: "This was a despicable crime, and the whole family have been left traumatised by what has happened to them.

"The stolen paintings are extremely valuable but also hold a great deal of sentimental value for Mr Aird, as Mr Lowry was a close family friend.

"It would be almost impossible for these distinctive paintings to be sold on, as they would be immediately recognised as stolen.

"I would appeal to anyone who has information on the people responsible, or the current location of the stolen paintings, to contact us."

Anyone with information should contact the major incident room on 0161 856 2482, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Art Hostage comments:

Police may already know the identities of the robbers, but are using Crimewatch to try and smoke out further evidence and deflect the blame away from the informant, who has already given the names ?

Knowing who committed this dreadful robbery does not recover the stolen Lowry's !!

How far is Manchester from Glasgow ?



I will update once it has aired !!



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