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Three high-value paintings have been stolen in a burglary at Christ Church Picture Gallery in Oxford, police said. Thames Valley police said burglars had broken into the gallery on St Aldates, which is part of Oxford University’s Christ Church college, at around 11pm on Saturday. Nobody was injured during the heist, police confirmed. 

They took Salvator Rosa’s A Rocky Coast, With Soldiers Studying a Plan, from the late 1640s, Anthony Van Dyck’s A Soldier on Horseback, circa 1616, and Annibale Carracci’s A Boy Drinking, circa 1580, The Guardian reported. 

DCI Jon Capps appealed to the public for information. “The paintings which have been stolen are very high-value pieces dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries,” Capps said.

“The artwork has not yet been recovered but a thorough investigation is under way to find it and bring those responsible to justice. There will be an increased police presence in the area while officers and staff carry out enquiries. If you saw or heard anything suspicious in the area last night, please get in touch.”

Capps also urged members of the public to come forward and share any CCTV or other footage from around the area they might have and which they thought could help with the investigation.

In a statement, Christ Church college said the gallery would remain closed until further notice, and called on members of the public to assist in any way they can with the recovering of the stolen “important cultural artefacts”.