A TEACHER has voiced her anger after thieves stole numerous pieces of children's artwork from an open-air exhibition in the centre of a Suffolk town.

Mark Lord

A TEACHER has voiced her anger after thieves stole numerous pieces of children's artwork from an open-air exhibition in the centre of a Suffolk town.

Pupils at Leiston Middle School came up with an innovative exhibition space - the hoardings at a buildings site - to showcase their wide ranging and highly individual pieces of artwork.

The Year Eight children's work is displayed on the massive hoardings surrounding a new development being built in Waterloo Avenue in the middle of Leiston.

Sally Sibley, who teaches at Leiston Middle School, said: “The children are very upset by these callous thieves.

“The exhibition had only been launch for four days before people started noticing gaps and we realised the work was missing.

“What has struck us is how carefully the work has been removed, it had been professionally laminated and mounted, but whoever took it went to a great deal of trouble to ensure it was removed carefully and that no ripped or torn pieces were left behind.

“Perhaps one of the worst thing is that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for these children to have their work displayed like this and their chance to make a very public section of the town look visually stunning - and now some of that work, art which the children had been working on for weeks has gone.

“Another thing is that we have had many inquiries from the public as to whether they can buy the work as they think it is so professionally produced and now those children whose work has been stolen will not have the opportunity to bargain and barter with someone who wants to buy their work. They have lost out on the thrill of seeing their work sold.

“I hope that whoever it was that took this artwork is proud of what they have done.”

A spokesman for Suffolk police said: “Anyone with any information about who took the artwork or where it is now should contact Leiston police on 01986 835300.”

The exhibition will continue until the middle of July, each pupil exhibiting will receive a special book featuring so that once the exhibition is over they will have a permanent record of the art.