Bruce Springsteen guitarist Nils Lofgren supports Sunderland musician Trevor Sewell in hunt for stolen guitars

Award-winning musician, composer, engineer and record producer Trevor Sewell had been unpacking his car in the back lane of his Millfield home when three of his prized guitars, one of which he’s played for more than 40 years, were stolen.

Devastated by the loss of the “irreplaceable” instruments, Trevor took to social media to post about the theft in the hopes the guitars will be returned – and celebrated musicians have shared the post, reaching millions of their fans.

Trevor said: “The level of support I have received from social media has been truly astonishing and it has really helped a lot although it’s far more than just the guitars to me, it’s the memories that the guitars embody.”

The guitars stolen from his car, between 7.15pm and 7.30pm on November 30, 2019, are a goldtop Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, a Fender Stratocaster and a blue Santa Ana acoustic.

The musician, who’s won nine major awards in the USA as well as racking up nominations in the British Blues Awards for his talents, said: “I had just nipped back into the house to pick something up and was no longer than five minutes, but when I came out my three guitars were missing.

“The guitars are not simply the tools of my trade, as I have had one of the guitars for over 40 years. It’s irreplaceable to me as my dad bought me it when I left school to turn professional as a musician.”

He added: “Since the theft the pictures of the guitars have been shared on Facebook and tweeted many thousands of times and have even been championed by numerous world-renowned rock musicians including: Nils Lofgren (guitarist with Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young), multi-platinum selling artist and Grammy winner Janis Ian (who I’ve duetted with in the past), top American session musician Leland Sklar and even Mark Knopfler who has published details of the guitars on his website.”

It’s estimated that the posts have reached an audience of between five and 10 million.

Anyone who knows of the guitars’ whereabouts can contact Trevor, who says he has reported the theft to the police, on 07590 382154.