BUSINESSMAN Richard Large fears he will never again see his prized solid steel cannon that was stolen from the front of his Fenland home. Mr Large is staggered by the theft since he believes it would have taken at least two people to enter his garden and

BUSINESSMAN Richard Large fears he will never again see his prized solid steel cannon that was stolen from the front of his Fenland home.

Mr Large is staggered by the theft since he believes it would have taken at least two people to enter his garden and lift the 300 cwt cannon onto the back of a trailer.

"In reality my loss is negligible since I paid £20 for it from a junk yard two years ago," he said." But I had refurbished it and I had never seen one for sale before in the 20 years I had been going to auctions."

He says the cannon is about 42 inch front to back, stands some 20 inches high, and has been painted black, with decorative engraving on the barrel.

His home in High Road, Guyhirn, has a bay window and a porch, he said, and the cannon was positioned between the two but he is not sure when it was stolen.

Mr Large said he noticed it was missing on Saturday but it could have been stolen at anytime in the previous week.

He said he was talking to someone late on Tuesday evening and heard a noise outside and saw a black Fiesta turn round near the front of his home. He suspects it may have been the thieves, stealing the cannon for scrap.

"Police have told me there's a huge market in scrap metal, so may be that's what has happened," he said. "I don't, in truth, expect to see the cannon again."

He said the cannon was worth £300 as an ornament, but if the gun metal in the barrel was melted down, its scrap value could be higher.

Mr Large is offering a £50 reward for either the cannon's return or information leading to the successful prosecution of the thieves.

* Contact him on 07817456385.