Damien Hirst art works stolen from London’s Notting Hill Gallery

Two signed Damien Hirst works of art worth £33,000 have been stolen from a gallery.

The pieces were taken from the Exhibitionist Gallery in Notting Hill, west London, in the early hours of Monday, according to BBC News.

The stolen works, called Pyronin Y and Oleoylsarcosine, feature multi-coloured dots.

Police believe the artworks were specifically targeted and want witnesses to come forward.

Pyronin Y is the larger of the two measuring 40in (1m) by 46in (1.2m). It was produced in 2005 and is worth £15,000.

Oleoylsarcosine was created in 2008 and is worth £18,000. Its dimensions are 26in (67cm) x 35in (89cm).

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said just one person carried out the theft and he may have left in a car.

Det Sgt Jon Lightfoot said: "It appears the suspect has specifically targeted the two pieces.

"The items would have been visible in the back of the car and we are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to please come forward."

Hirst rose to fame as part of a group known as the Young British Artists and is probably best known for a series of works in which he preserved animals, including a shark and a sheep, in formaldehyde.
He was awarded the Turner Prize in 1995.
Hirst's more recent works include Verity, a 66ft bronze-plated statue of a pregnant, naked woman wielding a sword, which was unveiled on Ilfracombe harbour in north Devon in October 2012.