Four in court on da Vinci charges

Officers never gave up hope Joy 'tinged with sadness'

Four men have appeared at Dumfries Sheriff Court in connection with the recovery of the da Vinci masterpiece the Madonna with the Yarnwinder.

The men appeared in private on a petition charged with conspiracy to rob and extort money.

They were named as Robert Graham, 55, and John Doyle, 58, both of Ormskirk; Calum Jones, 52, of Kilmacolm; and Marshall Ronald, 51, of Skelmersdale.

They made no plea or declaration and were committed for further examination.

All four were granted bail with conditions.

They appeared separately in chambers before Sheriff Kenneth Barr.

Reward unclaimed

The court appearance came after police revealed the extent of the operation to recover the painting in Glasgow on Thursday.

Det Supt Brian Anderson confirmed that 60 officers were involved in searches of premises in the city as well as in Lancashire.

It is understood that nobody has come forward at this stage to claim any reward as a result of the discovery of the artwork.

The four men appeared in private at Dumfries Sheriff Court

The picture belonged to the Duke of Buccleuch, who died after a short illness last month, at the age of 83.

The piece, which has a value estimated at £30m, had been in his family for two centuries and was admired by thousands of visitors to Drumlanrig Castle every year.

Depicting the Madonna with the infant Jesus holding a cross-shaped yarnwinder, it is believed by experts to have been painted between 1500 and 1510.

The current Duke of Buccleuch, said he was "overjoyed" to receive confirmation that the painting was indeed the masterpiece, after experts authenticated the painting.

However, he said that joy was "tinged by sadness" that his father did not live to see the precious artwork returned.