A reward of up to £500 leading to the arrest and judicial disposal of anyone responsible for the theft of a collection of spoons from a north Devon museum is being offered by the council, insurers and theatres trust.

A collection of ten spoons, worth approximately £20,000 were stolen from a display cabinet in the Museum of North Devon, The Square, Barnstaple on Friday 31 July 2009. The spoons, which were crafted in the town, date from the 17th century and are made of silver.

The theft took place during the day-time on Friday between 9.30am and 4.15pm when the museum was busy with holiday makers.

PC Shaunaugh Cobb said, "The museum was busy throughout the day and we believe someone may have seen the theft taking place. Or maybe you were visiting the museum that day and saw someone acting suspiciously around the collection. This is a particular upsetting crime, particularly for the staff and volunteers at the museum, and this thief has taken a little piece of history away from the residents of Barnstaple. I would urge anyone with information to contact the police to help us return the items so that everyone can enjoy them in their rightful place."

Alison Mills, Development Manager at the museum, said, "These spoons were generously donated to the museum by a local man so that everyone could appreciate their beauty and the skills of Barnstaple craftsmen. It’s really upsetting that we can no longer use them to help the many local schoolchildren who visit to learn how wealthy and important Barnstaple was in the 17th century – these are the only examples of Barnstaple silver in our collections."

Anyone with any information regarding the theft is asked to call Devon and Cornwall Police on 08452 777444 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference CB/09/3078.