THE owner of a rural petrol station said he was 'feeling gutted' after vintage items worth in excess of £500 have been stolen.

Three iconic plastic globes with the word Shell and a vintage butcher's bike were taken from old pumps outside Withypool Tea Rooms.

The items were stolen between 7pm on Sunday, July 19 and 7am the following day.

"The items were a big tourist feature in the village and brought people into Withypool and many people had their photographs taken with them,"said the owner Tony Howard.

"It would be a huge relief to get them back, I put out an appeal on Facebook which has already recieved 60,000 hits," he added.

The globes are white, although they have yellowed with age, while the lettering is red.

Mr Howard bought them 15 years ago for £150 but believes they would be worth considerably more now.

Also stolen was a vintage butcher's bike, thought to be worth upwards of £500, is black with the words 'work bike' painted in red on the frame which was given to Mr Howard by his father who thought it would a fitting addition to the vintage tea room.

"The police have been here a few times but unfortunately it seems there is a slim chance of getting the items back," Mr Howard said.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the stolen items or who has been offered them for sale should contact Avon and Somerset Police online, quoting reference 78947/15, or alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.