A bargain hunter bought a painting for £150 at a York car boot sale - and found she had a £50,000 stolen art treasure on her hands.

The York woman innocently paid cash for the painting of ships in rough sea by Bakhuysen when she visited Rufforth car boot sale in February.

Only when she took the painting to an auctioneers to be valued in May did she realise just how valuable it was or that it had been stolen from a manor house in Hertfordshire, five months earlier.

The detective investigating the case, Detective Constable Heidi Kerlin, of Hertfordshire police, said the painting was one of two stolen from the country home, along with an antique Chinese ornamental vase, on January 30.

"The woman innocently purchased the painting in good faith at the car boot sale, not knowing its background or value," said Det Con Kerlin.

"When she took it to the auctioneers he took one look at it and realised it was worth a lot more than £150.

"When he checked the Lost Art Register it came up as stolen - along with a similar painting also worth £50,000. He contacted the police straight away."

Det Con Kerlin added that the police are still trying to trace the other painting and the vase, which is also thought to be valuable. They are eager to speak to the man who sold the painting at the car boot sale.

"We are appealing for him to come forward and help us in our inquiries. So far there has been no trace of him, and we're no closer to locating where he could be," said Det Con Kerlin.

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