Burglars leave artist at a loss

Jos Whinney, 35, was on holiday when his workshop at Home Farm, in Kings Sutton, near Banbury, was broken into some time over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend.

As well as a number of hand tools, including a jigsaw and drill, the thieves took a computer containing designs for all of Mr Whinney's promotional literature.

Most damaging for the artist, who was not covered by insurance, they took a £2,000 plasma cutting machine, used to cut steel, which Mr Whinney turns into sculptures.

He believes that whoever broke in knew what they were looking for, as they searched through drawers and took all the spare cutting tips for the machine.

He said: "Not a lot of people know where my workshop is, not many people know what goes on in here and not many people know what I have in my workshop.

"A plasma cutter is a very specialist bit of kit and it's really only used to cut through steel sheet.

"They tried to get into my workshop first and they couldn't, so they wandered around and found a workshop they could break into, where there was a cordless electrical saw, which they used to cut off the door of my workshop."

Without the plasma machine, Mr Whinney cannot continue his artistic work which has included designing and making railings and garden sculptures for homes in Oxford, and fittings for shops, such as Little Princes and Princesses children's clothing, in Woodstock.

Mr Whinney said he could not afford the £4,000 needed to buy a replacement machine, and added: "I'm appealing for them to have a heart. I can no longer do my artistic work.

"I can still forge, but I can't do the same sort of artistic stuff that I was doing before.

"It's such an expensive bit of kit that should I want to do that work again, I actually can't afford to."

Anyone with information about the burglary, which took place between Thursday, April 27, and Wednesday, May 3, should call Northamptonshire Police on 08453 700700 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.