ART historians are on a quest to find a bronze sculpture made by an artist from Stroud which was stolen a decade ago.

The Watchers, a grade II listed piece by Lynn Chadwick reported to be worth £600,000, was last seen at Roehampton University in south-west London.

In 2006 thieves stole one of the three two-metre high figures which make up the sculpture.

It was sawn off at the legs overnight and police believe it would have taken at least eight people to carry the artwork away.

The Watchers is one of a national collection of sculptures, friezes and murals that Historic England, formally English Heritage, has revealed have been either destroyed, sold, lost or stolen.

It has launched the hunt in an attempt to uncover the numerous missing pieces of post-war public art with the help of members of the public.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: "Part of England's national collection of public artworks is disappearing before our eyes.

“Historic England's research is only the tip of the iceberg as it's almost impossible to trace what has happened to every piece of public art since 1945.

“What we do know is that this art work was commissioned and created for everyone to enjoy, and it should remain accessible to all.

“We're making efforts to protect the best examples of post-war public art that still exist, and make sure that it continues to enhance the public realm.

“But we also want to raise awareness of just how vulnerable these works can be and we want the public to help us track down lost pieces."

Historic England is putting together a list to catalogue the public art which is missing and is appealing to the public to contribute.

The governmental organisation is on the look-out for photographs, memories and stories about any works of outdoor art from the post war period, 1945-1985, which are thought to be missing.

To find out more go to http://historicengland.org.uk/news-and-features/missing-public-art/