Marley, by Gary Wiggins, was being exhibited at the Harris as part of a Devil Dogs showcase

A piece of artwork has been stolen from the Harris Museum and Art Gallery.

The drawing of a pitbull known as Marley, worth £300, was taken from a current exhibition on the stairs leading up the first floor.

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Lancashire Police say the artwork by local artist Gary Wiggins – profiled on Blog Preston in May – was taken at 4.30pm on Wednesday 12 June.

Councillor Tom Burns, cabinet member for culture, said: “I am shocked and saddened to hear about the theft from the Harris. The piece was part of a temporary exhibition and was on loan from a local artist.

“The Harris Museum and Art Gallery showcases the best of arts and culture in Preston to over 220,000 visitors every year and this incident will not affect the fantastic free experience that it provides to the city. An incident like this is extremely rare and security of art work is of the highest priority.

“We have taken steps to prevent a repeat of this incident and we will work with police to try and retrieve the artwork and catch those responsible.

“I am thankful to the artist, Mr Wiggins for agreeing to allow us to continue exhibiting his other pieces.”

Anyone with any information to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or the police on 101.