Video: Harborough man reunited with guitar stolen 10 years ago

A unique rockstar-signed guitar stolen 10 years ago from a Market Harborough music promoter has turned up again on eBay.
Dave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTERDave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER
Dave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

Amazed owner Dave Allen, who had intended to auction the guitar for charity, said this week: “I’m ecstatic”.

The stolen Fender guitar, signed by 10 rock greats including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend and Mark Knopfler and valued at £20,000 was being sold by a house clearance firm in Leicestershire, who were unaware of the guitar’s history.

A friend of Dave’s spotted the one-off guitar on eBay, and it was collected by Market Harborough police and given back to Dave.

Dave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTERDave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER
Dave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

Sergeant John Weston, stationed in Market Harborough, said: “We are pleased to have played a role in ensuring the safe recovery of the guitar and we now hope that it can go on to raise money for Rainbows hospice as was its original intention.”

A leading auction house in London has expressed an interest in the guitar.

Dave told the Mail: “I was gutted when the guitar was lost - I’d spent a year collecting the signatures.

“On this occasion in 2007 I’d sent it by courier to Mark Knopfler - the first time I’d not had someone accompany it - and it was ‘lost in the post’ shall we say.

Dave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTERDave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER
Dave Allen reunited with the music celebrity signed guitar stolen ten years ago. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

"I couldn’t believe it when it turned up two weeks ago. The house-clearance firm had no idea what they’d got - the signatures are not easy to read, and of course even if you could make them out, you wouldn’t know if they were genuine.”

The house clearance firm had paid £35 for it, and hoped to sell it for a few hundred.

Now Dave plans to add to the guitar signature collection - he’s hoping for Keith Richards and Paul McCartney - before selling it in December.

“It’s great to have it back, all from one little picture on the internet” said Dave. “I really thought I’d never see it again.”