Violin Stolen in Croydon, London

The German violin was stolen from inside a parked car

British violinist Emma Schul has reported the theft of her instrument in Croydon, London. The violin was taken from Schul’s 2012 Renault Clio on February 15, 2025, between 2pm and 3pm at 182 Church Road, near Croydon’s Fairfield Halls venue. Schul says that the theft may have been caught on CCTV footage.

The instrument is believed to be German-made, and it contains a facsimile label that reads "Ant. Stradivarius." The violin has one very distinctive feature: a medallion carved on the back with a portrait of a man, captioned "Professor Wilhelm."

The violin was kept in a blue rectangular case with a cloth outer shell, and the case also contained Schul's Brazilian hardwood bow as well as some scores.

Schul says that the instrument is "of incredible sentimental value to me as I’ve had it for more than 20 years."

The crime has been reported to the UK police with the reference number 01/7167153/25.

If you have any information, you can contact Schul on the email address: [email protected].