Young musician robbed

TALENTED young musician Dan James has been robbed of his treasured cello just days before he was due to tour Scotland with the Brighton Youth Orchestra.

TALENTED young musician Dan James has been robbed of his treasured cello just days before he was due to tour Scotland with the Brighton Youth Orchestra.

Now the 16-year-old is desperately appealing for its return or the loan of a similar instrument for a short period.

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Mean thieves stole the newly-purchased cello from his mother's car, parked outside Safeway on Tuesday afternoon.

Dan's family had bought it with hard-earned savings only a week earlier on the advice of experts who said he needed a better instrument with which to progress.

His old cello was traded in as part of the deal.

Ironically, talented Dan heard on Wednesday that he had been accepted as a student from September on the Saturday morning course at Trinity College of Music, London.

Dan is a dedicated musician who plays in the Brighton Youth Orchestra, East Sussex Youth Orchestra and West Sussex Youth Orchestra.

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The callous theft means that he now has no instrument at all.

'I only had the instrument for a week but it was my most treasured possession,' said Dan.

'I shall miss it desperately.'

He is appealing to anyone who has any information about the theft, which happened about 4.30pm, to contact the Lewes Police. The cello has a hard case, is about 4.5ft high and is covered in stickers from his many concert tours.

Said Brighton Youth Orchestra director of music, Andrew Sherwood: 'This is a devastating thing to happen to such a talented musician.

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'We understand the cello had been hidden under a quilt, so the thieves must have known what they were looking for.

'We would be very keen to hear from anyone who might have a spare cello that they can lend him.'

The youth orchestra can be contacted on 01273 643450.

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