Stolen banjo

Subject: Stolen banjo
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 06:19 AM

From a police press release:

Detectives in Telford [Shropshire, UK] are investigating after a haul of items was stolen from a home, including a distinctive banjo.

Thieves forced their way into the property in Regent Street in Wellington yesterday(September 14) between 8.30am and 4.30pm while the owners were out.

Offenders ransacked the house and stole a number of items. It is believed they made off along Mill Lane.

Police are investigating the matter and have appealed to anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

A Telford Police spokeswoman said: "The burglary happened in broad daylight and we would ask anyone who saw anything suspicious to come forward and speak to us.

"On of the items stolen was a cream coloured Windsor banjo, which is quite distinctive. It has the words "Le Clerc" stamped on the back and the fifth string, which is usually shorter than the other strings and is attached to a peg, is fed into a brass tube and travels to the top of the instrument. This makes this particular instrument quite unusual and easily recognisable.

"We believe thieves may try and sell the banjo, and we would appeal to anyone who is offered such an item for sale to come forward."

The spokeswoman added: "We have carried out a number of enquiries and believe that there was one or more people involved. We also believe that the offenders would have been very slim or very young, due to the way they entered the property.

"If you saw anyone similar to this description acting suspiciously in the area, or carrying a number of items, we would like to hear from you."

Other items stolen include an Aries computer, a Toshiba DVD player and a black leather wallet.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the dedicated Burglary Unit at Telford Police on [phone] or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on [phone].

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: BanjoRay
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 06:27 AM

Sounds like a zither banjo. It'll probably have a guitar-like slotted peghead with 6 pegs, only 5 of which are used. I wonder if the cream colour refers to the skin or to the banjo woodwork - cream woodwork sounds a bit unusual.
Ray

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: kendall
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 07:28 AM

Bastards.

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 08:46 AM

hope the scum overdose on the proceeds of their crime

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: SINSULL
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 09:51 AM

Careful Guest. Whatever you send out will come back to you three-fold. Leave the punishment to the law and Fate. Meantime, watch out for the banjo.

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 12:29 PM

Omigod--the memories this engenders. While my mother was living in Houston, in between 1980 & '87, she had 2 fab banjos stolen: one when she'd been moving into a new apartment (flat, to the Brits) and had hidden it in a closet under/inside of stuff. Nothing else in the apt. was touched; another out of a locked car trunk (again, nothing else in the car was taken). Both times were at the end of a period of "underemployment" and she hadn't had the wherwithal to insure either one. A friend with a secondhand junk store (named "Texas Junque") took in a junky banjo, called Mama who acquired it and proceeded to insure it to the hilt. She kept it on the back seat of her car, visible to any interested passersby, but the Houston thieves apparently know banjo quality and wouldn't touch it.
Hope someone finds the swag and the takers get their lives changed in whatever style will stop them from indulging in any other criminal acts. I believe I'm not aloud to wish anyone ill, so I'll leave it there.                      Tw

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 12:34 PM

One thing , there arent a lot of old Windsor Zither banjos around these days !

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 15 Sep 06 - 01:02 PM

Should make it easy to spot, right?          Tw

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: erinmaidin
Date: 16 Sep 06 - 08:11 AM

The perpetrators of this crime are obviously disturbed mentally and should be on meds. (listen..I'm sorry...but it was a banjo and I couldn't resist!) I hope the banjo is found and anyone who steals "music" from a person is soulless.

Subject: RE: Stolen banjo
From: chazkratz
Date: 16 Sep 06 - 08:37 AM

How astute of the police to determine that the burglary was perpetrated by one or more offenders.

Charles