Works of art - worth £600 - have been stolen from the University of York.

They were on loan from a private collector in St Albans, Hertfordshire, when they were pinched from the wall of a corridor at Wentworth College.

A spokesman for the university said: "We are not a closed campus and there is substantial public access. Unfortunately that means this sort of thing can happen here from time to time.

"We hope that anyone who has any information about the whereabouts of these paintings will contact the police.

"From the university's point of view it is extremely unfortunate that something like this has happened while the paintings were nominally in our care, and that is to be very much regretted."

He said while there were several bicycles reported stolen from the university every week, this type of theft was very unusual. He said it was the first time in two years that art work had been taken by thieves.

The oil paintings, which depict scenes of London's South Bank and Regent Street, had been part of an exhibition by modern artists which had been on display at Wentworth College.

They were painted by Jonathan Bray, who is currently studying at the university.

He is not an art student - he is studying for a Masters Degree in Modern Literature and Culture in the English department - and the paintings were not from a degree show, but were part of a private collection. The paintings were reported missing at 3.15pm on July 14 and police believe they were stolen between June 29 and July 14.

York Police spokesman Colin Ventress said: "Someone may recognise them. They may have seen them hanging on a wall somewhere or they may have been offered them for sale."

He said he did not know whether they had been stolen by a student or a member of the public.

Anyone with information should phone police on 0845 60 60 247.