Thieves steal signed Dali sketch

Dali sketched the work in ink on the back of a menu at a Spanish hotel

An original Salvador Dali sketch worth £30,000 has been stolen from a family home in an overnight burglary.

The world famous Spanish artist made the drawing as a copy of one of his own paintings and has signed it "to my friend - Salvador Dali".

Drawn on the back of a printed menu from the Cervantes Figueres Hotel in Figueres, Spain, the sketch is a copy of his 1977 work A Spanish Knight.

The theft took place in the early hours of Tuesday in Sherborne, Dorset.

The sketch was framed with a signed note from the hotel manager, to say he had witnessed it being drawn, signed and presented to the owner by the artist.

Dali used a number of coloured inks to create the piece, which is on card.

Pc Michelle King, of Sherborne police, said: "The thieves climbed walls at the rear of the house to get in and it looks like they knew exactly what they were looking for - they didn't touch anything else in the house.

"I'm appealing to anyone who knows anything at all about this unique and valuable sketch to contact the police urgently.

"It's worth far more than money to its owner and I'd like to be able to return it and detain those responsible."