An artist is making a desperate plea for answers after her £600 lockdown masterpiece went missing in the post.

Pamela Lloyd-Jones' sent the 40x50cm painting 'Life is Still' from London to Deal via Hermes' signed for service on November 15.

The canvas was due to go on show at Linden Hall Studio's popular Winter Show exhibition this month, where it would have been available to buy.

But after an attempted delivery by the courier on Sunday, November 21, there has been no further trace of it.

Ms Lloyd-Jones said: "Someone somewhere must know where it is.

"It's irreplaceable and quite distinctive and I'd like it back.

"It was the first time I've used this delivery service but other people have told me they have done it with their work.

"I took it to the drop off and took instruction from the people there.

"It got there (to Deal) but it's a mystery what's happened since."

The lifelong artist has been teaching painting and life drawing workshops for decades. She spends her time between London and Deal and was honoured to be a part of the Winter Show.

She explained how significant the artwork is to her, having been created during lockdown when she described feeling totally uninspired.

She said: "That's why I'm attached to it because during lockdown when I was finding it difficult to be inspired by anything, I managed to create a picture I actually quite like.

"It's actually of artificial flowers. It was during the dreary winter.

"It took me a couple of days and a lot of thought."

The canvas was carefully packed between two thick pieces of cardboard as well as bubble wrap in a silver stiffy bag, secured with 'fragile' tape.

According to Hermes, another attempt was due to be made the next working day, which would have been November 22, but there is no record of this.

They have also told Ms Lloyd-Jones that it was not logged back into the depot and the depot has been searched.

Ms Lloyd-Jones has now been forced to put in a claim.

She added: "I have spent hours trying to sort it out with Hermes. It's kind of gone into a no zone area.

"It would give me some faith if it were located.

"We're all so mistrustful with society and the ways things are going.

"I just want to believe that nobody has been stupid or malicious in taking it."

A spokesman for Hermes said: "Unfortunately we have been unable to find this parcel in our network.

"We have contacted the customer to offer a goodwill payment of £100, the amount the painting was valued at, to apologise for the inconvenience.

"We would ask people to check our list of prohibited and excluded items which can be found at the point of purchase (this does include paintings)."

If you have information or may have seen the package, email pamelalloydjones@hotmail.com or call 07941938466.