A man has stolen a painting worth more than £6,000 from a gallery in broad daylight, sparking a police investigation.

The eye-catching piece of art, measuring two metres in length, was taken from Artique Galleries in Canterbury's Marlowe Arcade at about 1.30pm yesterday.

The suspect is described as a white man, who was wearing a grey tracksuit and a black body warmer.

The stolen artwork is an original named Gaining Altitude, by contemporary Canadian artist Danielle O'Connor Akiyama who is based on the west coast of Ireland.

It is listed on Artique Galleries' website for £6,295.

The piece is approximately two metres by one metre in size - roughly the size of a door - and is primarily pink, yellow, black and white.

Officers have released an image of the artwork and urge anyone who has seen it or been offered it for sale to contact Kent Police on 01843 222289, quoting reference 46/12636/22.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or by using the online form on their here.