A WORLD-renowned musician has had his custom-made clarinet stolen while preparing for a North-East concert.

Michael Whight, lead clarinettist with the London Philharmonic, and a professor at Trinity College of Music in London, was playing at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington on Friday as a guest of Northern Sinfonia.

Mr Whight left his clarinet - which he has played for 20 years - in a meeting room at the centre while he went for a cup of tea. But when he returned, his instrument had gone.

Northern Sinfonia colleagues rushed to the town's music shops, where the thief had already attempted to sell the £1,800 instrument.

It is believed the orchestra's manager passed the thief on the stairs of one shop, without realising who he was.

The shops all turned the thief away, believing the demand for a quick sale of the clarinet to be suspicious.

Mr Whight had to play the Dolphin Centre concert - and another in Cumbria on Saturday - on a borrowed instrument.

He said: "It's incredibly difficult to do. You get used to your instrument and know it extremely well. You can't just pick up any old clarinet and get the same sounds.

"It took me two years to find that clarinet, and parts of it have been custom-made for me. It's irreplaceable.

"I don't think whoever has taken it will be able to sell it because it's got a crack. It's something I've learned to cope with, but I'm not sure anyone else would want a cracked clarinet."

The thief was 6ft 1in and wearing a baseball cap. Anyone with information is asked to call Darlington police on (01325) 467681.