IRREPLACEABLE artwork has been stolen from a car.

Gay Wood, 41, had taken her university artwork out of the house for the first time in 10 years to show to a friend.

But her car was broken into and the work was taken from the front seat.

Gay, of Walcot Road, said: “It’s completely worthless, but it is completely irreplaceable to me.

“The work was something I hoped to keep forever.”

Thieves smashed the passenger side window of Gay’s silver Citroen Berlingo and took the artwork, which was in a black and white carrier bag.

They also took a small holdall bag containing make-up.

The mother-of-two, who is a childminder, had picked up three children from the King William Street Nursery and stopped to go to the library and get some sweets on the way back.

She was parked in Globe Street, in the town centre, and believes the thieves had about a 15-minute window to commit the crime, which occurred at 3.30pm on October 16.

Although Gay searched the surrounding area in the hope the thieves had dumped the bag, she found nothing. She is now appealing to the public to be on the look out for the missing pieces.

The work is from Gay’s art and textiles degree course at Bath University10 years ago.

It includes photographs of Gay with the pieces, fine art pieces, an old green and brown photograph album and photograph sleeves.

Gay said: “It’s very personal to me and it’s work I was very proud of that said something about who I am.

“It would have been better to lose money or a camera, though if you lose the camera you want the memory card.

“These people have obviously never worked hard at something to know how devastating it would be to lose something like that.”

Duty Inspector Bill Giles said he would urge people not to leave any items on show in their car and to put everything in the car boot.

He said: “We have done quite a few campaigns – if you leave valuables in your car, people are going to break in.”

Anyone who finds the artwork should call the Adver on 01793 501797.

Anyone with information on the incident should call police on 0845 408 7000 or anonymously on Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.