AN OIL painting stolen from Weymouth Lib-rary more than a decade ago has resurfaced for sale online.

The work, entitled The Canal At Chiswick, by artist Robert Standish-Sweeney was stolen in 1992 but was recently found for sale on auction website eBay.

After a positive identification of the work, the matter has now been reported to Dorset Police and to eBay’s administrators.

The painting was found by the secretary of the Standish-Sweeney collection charitable trust, Elizabeth Goodsell, who swiftly reported the matter to the police.

Mrs Goodsell, of Rodwell Road, Weymouth, said: “As of March this year, I’ve been the secretary and a trustee member of the Standish-Sweeney collection charitable trust.

“For my personal interest as well as auditing the collection, I’ve been doing regular searches online to see what Standish-Sweeney works there are out there in the world.”

Mrs Goodsell said she emailed the people attempting to sell the painting to warn them that she suspected it had been stolen.

The sellers’ replied they had bought the painting at a house sale in Bournemouth but, despite the warning, the item remained up for auction.

Mrs Goodsell said: “Thanks to the Dorset Echo I was able to get a copy of an article that was published after the painting was stolen, which featured a photograph, and proved it was what I thought it was.

“It’s been a very lucky discovery and I have now reported the matter to the police.

“Two officers have been to my house and I’ve shown them the Echo article from 1992, proving that this was the stolen painting.”

Mrs Goodsell said she was later told by Dorset Police that Hampshire Police were investigating the matter as the painting was being offered for sale in Lymington.

The Canal At Chiswick was stolen from Weymouth Library in February 1992.

The blue, black and gold canal scene in an impressionist-style was valued then as being worth £750.

The painting was part of a collection by Robert Standish-Sweeney that was insured for a total of £150,000 and was given to the library on long-term loan.

After resurfacing on eBay, the painting was on sale for £195 or for a starting bid of £95.

Guy Schwinge of Duke’s auctioneers in Dorchester said: “He is not a renowned artist but quite important locally. I would imagine the painting would be worth in the region of £1,000 now.”