A £5,000 reward has been put up for information on a rare £1million lighthouse lantern which was stolen from Devon and is believed to be in West Mercia, the West Midlands or Bristol.
Crimestoppers are appealing for help finding the lamp which was taken from the historic Hartland Point Lighthouse which dates back to the 1800s.
The lantern was in storage in Ilfracombe and was due to undergo refurbishment
Crimestoppers said it was a ‘vital piece of English coastal heritage’ and one of only three in the world.
It is feared that the lantern could have been moved from Devon to the West Mercia, West Midlands or Bristol areas and there is now a race against time to stop £1million worth of equipment being melted down.
Mick Duthie, Director of Operations at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “It’s so incredibly important for us to protect our precious heritage and that includes key historic structures such as lighthouses on our coastline.
“It’s sad to think that criminals have stolen vital equipment dating back to the 1800s – one of only three in the world.
“Our charity is here to help and gives people the option of staying completely anonymous whilst doing the right thing.
“Every day, over 1,000 people use our anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call our UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111.
“We’ve kept our promise of anonymity to everyone who has trusted us since we began in the late 1980s.”
He urged anyone with information to ‘not stay silent’ but to ‘speak up’.
