Reward issued in bid to recover stolen artworks from King’s Lynn property

An art dealer who lives in the famous Exorcist House in Lynn is offering a £2,000 reward in a bid to recover a trove of stolen paintings.

Roland Bachkauskas was on holiday in Spain when he received a worrying phone call from police informing him that £20,000 worth of paintings had been stolen from his property.

It is thought the crooks made off with 17 original artworks and a handful of jewellery after forcing entry through the back door.

He said: “I believe this was a prearranged hit because it seems to have been quite an organised operation.

“My property has previously been advertised online on Rightmove and this would have given the thieves a tour of my home.”

Mr Bachkauskas, who has been collecting and restoring artworks for nearly 40 years, says the thieves appear to have “randomly” selected pieces based on their age.

Among the artworks stolen from the propety in Pilot Street are 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century works which are believed to be valued between £220 and £2,000.

Mr Bachkauskas’ record of stolen paintings includes The Mussel Gatherers by Robert McGregor, which depicts a Breton family on a beach carrying baskets, The Patron saints of Malagas, which shows St Ciriaco and St Paula in a sunlit sky above a sea view in Malagas, Spain, and a still life of vegetables in a basket by Walter Dexter, among more.

Mr Bachkauskas has been in contact with national and international collectors to inform them of his situation and to ask them to “keep an eye out” for his stolen artworks.

He added: “The thieves appeared to have come in through the back garden.

“There were gaps on the walls from where they had taken paintings as well as some paintings down from the walls and stood up on the floor.

“They also took some jewellery.”

A spokesman from Norfolk Police said: “We are investigating a burglary at an address in King’s Lynn.

“It happened between 12 midday on December 27 and 2pm on December 30.

“The property was broken into and a number of paintings and some jewellery was stolen. Our investigation is ongoing.”

Anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity around Lynn between those dates, or anyone with information about the stolen artworks and jewellery, should contact King’s Lynn CID on 101.