Canonbury street artist’s kit saved by ‘Louis the cab driver’

A Canonbury street artist’s kit has been returned – two weeks after it was “stolen”.

As reported in the Gazette, Gary Power, 52, of Colebeck Mews, lost his latest work in progress, easel, trolley, pallet, paint and brushes on August 3. He had briefly gone to check on his disabled wife, but returned to Compton Road to find it had gone.

After an appeal for its return – including a Gazette front page on Thursday – the equipment was returned on Friday.

Police called Gary to inform him the hadn’t been stolen after all. It turned out “Louis the cab driver” had seen the unattended equipment and put it in his boot, before dropping it off at the police station.

And, even better, Gary met Louis in a chance encounter while painting in the street this week: “He had seen the article, and asked: ‘Are you Gary?’ I said: ‘I might be.’ I gave him £120, because why shouldn’t I? He saved my stuff.”

On Thursday, noted Highbury art collector Tim Sayer donated £400 to Gary after seeing our story about the kit going missing. Gary relies on his Canonbury street scenes as his main source of income, as he is a full-time carer for his wife.

Tim refused Gary’s offer to pay the £400 back after the original kit was returned on Friday.