ANTIQUE violin bows worth more than �100,000 are feared to have been stolen after they were mistakenly left at Ipswich railway station.

British Transport police hunting the 11 historic artefacts are today appealing for information over their whereabouts after they were mislaid by their owner, an expert in antique bows.

Detectives who are trying to trace the items - which date back to the 19th century - have released photographs of some of them.

One of the bows is said to be worth more than �30,000 alone.

It is believed they were left on a train which had travelled from London to Ipswich.

At the time the bows were in a brown case measuring around three feet wide and one foot high.

The case was less than 12 inches in depth, and had a handle on its top.

During the journey it had been placed in the overhead rack of the carriage in which the owner was sitting.

He got off a train at Ipswich in order to change to a different line, however believes he left the case behind. The 49-year-old’s final destination is understood to have been Cambridge.

The musical instrument craftsman from Oxford, travelled to Ipswich between 3pm and 4.10pm on Monday, October 4, on the National Express East Anglia service from Liverpool Street to Norwich.

Although it is thought the bows may have been left on the train, officers are also checking closed circuit television as part of the investigation.

This includes the cameras which look down on the platforms at Ipswich railway station. There are understood to have been around 30 to 40 people around at that time of the afternoon.

A British Transport Police spokesman confirmed the antique French bows are estimated to be worth in the region of around �110,000.

Detective Constable Alan Reed, who is leading the investigation, said: “While these are extremely valuable items, it would be extremely difficult to sell them on to a third party.

“Anyone who works in the antiques trade or musical instrument business is asked to contact us if they are approached by anyone selling items that match the bows’ description.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact BTP on 0800 405040, quoting reference number B2 of 8/10/2010.

Information can also be passed to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.