26m pounds art theft

NICE (Reuter) - Art thieves who broke into the Riviera home of a Franco-Lebanese tycoon, Antony Tannouri, stole paintings valued by the owner at pounds 26m. It was the biggest art theft on the Riviera.

The thieves broke into Mr Tannouri's villa at Cap d'Ail while he was away and took Matisse's Interior of a Room, Modigliani's Portrait of Women and two Degas portraits of dancers. Mr Tannouri said the paintings were so well known it was unlikely the thieves would be able to sell them.