Police have arrested and charged a 30-year-old man and two boys aged 16 and 14 in connection with the theft of a Stradivari violin in London. The instrument, which is valued at £1.2m, was stolen from violinist Min-Jin Kym in a sandwich bar at Euston Station on 29 November. Two bows – a Peccatte worth £62,000 and a school of Bazin valued at more than £5,000 – were also in Kym's violin case when it was taken. Neither the violin nor the bows have so far been recovered.

Detectives made the arrests following a public appeal for information, which also aired on the BBC's Crimewatch programme. The man arrested, John Michael Maughan, was remanded in custody, and the two teenagers were released on court bail. All three will next appear at West London Magistrates court on Thursday 22 January.

The investigating officer supervising the case, Detective Inspector Andy Rose, said that detectives are following a number of leads as part of their investigation. He said: 'Our enquiries currently lead us to believe the items could be held within the travelling community and it is also possible that they will be offered for sale within the antique or musical trade, either in England or in Ireland.'

Topics