AFTER his death 12 years ago, Trevor Percy-Lancaster's paintings fell into the wrong hands. Today they are back with the rightful owner...

THEIR gentle beauty helps explain the passion surrounding the recent extraordinary court battle over their ownership.

Today the Southern Daily Echo reproduces ten pictures created by Winchester artist Trevor Percy-Lancaster.

It shows his supreme skills as a painter and a draughtsman that were being recognised internationally at the time of his death in 1992.

They are a small selection of the hundreds fought for by Trevor's former girlfriend Cherry Reksten and his son, James.

In March a judge branded Ms Reksten a liar and ordered her to give to James 182 paintings that she had kept for more than ten years following Trevor's death at the claws of a grizzly bear in Canada. He sacrificed his life to save her.

Judge Iain Hughes QC declared that Ms Reksten had attempted to deceive, mislead and conceal the paintings from their rightful owner.

Twelve years late, the 182 paintings have recently been returned to him from storage at the Hampshire County Council museums service headquarters and Bell Fine Art, both in Winchester.

The case against Ms Reksten was largely based on detective work undertaken by James, 26, an antiques dealer, his mother Marilyn, both from Rickmansworth, and family friend Sue Oldfield, Trevor's former partner, who lives in Winchester.

They are convinced there are yet hundreds of other paintings by Trevor that were never accounted for. A prolific artist, he painted every day and yet the disputed works were created by the late 1980s. What happened to the fruits of the last four or five years of his life? Where have they gone?

The detective work will continue. Marilyn said they would like to hear from anyone who has bought a painting by Trevor. She said; "We don't want them back. We want to know where they went and who sold them.

"There are hundreds unaccounted for. Trevor was meticulous in his record-keeping."

Marilyn said that although they were awarded costs they are almost certain not to receive any payment from Ms Reksten, who apparently has no money.

Marilyn said: "In some ways it was a hollow victory. But it was lovely to have our side heard. We had to live with this injustice for years."

She said she was pleased the Southern Daily Echo has reproduced so much of his art. "To quote what the museums director said at the time of his death, that Trevor was the greatest artist Hampshire had ever produced," Marilyn said.

Get your copy of the Weekend Magazine free with the Daily Echo on Saturday, 29th May to see more pictures of Trevor Percy-Lancaster's paintings.