Man arrested over theft of £150,000 violin

The Metropolitan Police has made an arrest in its search for an 18th- century violin worth more than £150,000 that was stolen from a north London pub.

The string instrument, which belonged to a member of London's Philharmonia Orchestra, was taken on the evening of 18 February from The Marquess Tavern on Canonbury Street in Islington.

A 43-year-old man was arrested on 25 June on suspicion of theft, the force said. He was taken into custody and later released on bail pending further inquiries. The violin has not been recovered.

The violin's owner David Lopez Ibanez has previously described the instrument, made in Florence in 1740, as his "voice".

He told BBC London that the violin, worth more than £150,000, was more of a "companion" than an object.

"It comes with you everywhere around the world and it allows you to communicate something greater," he said.

"It becomes your voice, really, so aside of the actual monetary value of it, to me it really was priceless."

The violin has a unique feature - a small heart-shaped cut-out on the back of the scroll at the top of the instrument.

"If people at home have seen a violin of this description in a pawn shop, in a second-hand shop, wherever, antiques, markets, if they have purchased it, please do the right thing and bring it forward," Mr Ibanez said.

"But if you have seen it, get in touch with the police.

"The violin has a hole in the shape of a heart in the scroll. That's a very distinctive feature, it doesn't come up often, it's very rare."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]