A HEARTBROKEN teenager is appealing for help to find her beloved saxophone after it was stolen by heartless thieves.

Autumn Parker’s brass alto saxophone was taken during a raid on a friend’s garage.

The instrument had been left there temporarily along with a number of her family’s other instruments.

When her father, Lee Parker, found out about the raid, he began calling around second-hand stores in Colchester to find out if any of the instruments had been sold on to them.

After just a few calls, staff at Cash Converters, in Colchester High Street, confirmed a number of musical instruments had been brought in.

They included the family’s brass trumpet, brass trombone, a half size violin and a three quarter size violin as well as Autumn’s cherished saxophone.

Although staff were quickly able to take the violins, trombone and trumpet off the shelves, the saxophone had already been sold for £99.

After presenting photographs of the saved instruments, they were handed back to the family.

But now 14-year-old Autumn is appealing for the saxophone buyer to come forward and return her beloved instrument.

The person who bought it in good faith will not lose out financially and will be able to claim a full refund from Cash Converters.

Lee, 44, who lives in Bergholt Road, Colchester, said: “It’s heartbreaking because she loves playing it and there is no way we can afford to buy her a replacement.”

He said a replacement of the same make would costs about £600.

He added: “Autumn is home-schooled so we can’t even ask to borrow one from a school until we can get a new one.”

The instrument was sold with a brown case.

Lee, who is a dad-of-seven added: “I would say to the buyer: ‘Please, if you see this, please return the instrument to Cash Converters.

“You will not be out of pocket and you will get a full refund from the shop’.”

The instruments were taken from a garage in Briarwood End, Highwoods, Colchester, overnight between February 10 and 11.

The haul was sold to Cash Converters on February 11.

Anyone with information on the garage raid should contact Essex Police on 101 or can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via the website crimestoppers-uk.org

Anyone with information on the outstanding saxophone should contact Cash Converters, in High Street, directly on 01206 762575.