A BUDDING professional photographer is appealing for the return of camera equipment stolen when he turned his back as he set up at Barry Island.

Twenty-one-year-old Berren Rees, who has just set up his own photography business in Barry, was visiting Barry Island around 3pm on Saturday (February 8) to take some new landscape photographs for a client when the opportunist thief struck.

Berren was taking photographs of the Whitmore Bay headland and rested his Giottos tripod next to the resort’s lifeguard hut for a few minutes, but when he went to get it, it had gone.

The tripod is a Giottos 9361B with a Giottos MH1311-652 ball head worth £200.

Berren’s dad Dominic Lee said: “He searched the area for two hours looking for anyone that might have picked it up and also asked local businesses if they had seen anything but had no luck.

“He has just started the business and this is a massive blow to him and he feels annoyed that someone could do this as his back was turned for just a few minutes.

"It will have a huge impact on his business because as a landscape photographer, the tripod is an essential part of kit.

"As he is just getting the business started he does not have the funds to replace the equipment so this is going to have a direct affect on his new business.

Anyone with information should call South Wales Police on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 and quote reference number 1400040402.

Alternatively, if found it can be handed in to Barry police station or, anonymously, via www.berren.co.uk