A SEMI-professional rock musician has been left heartbroken after a valuable and sentimental bass guitar was stolen from his car.

Marc Hood’s guitar was taken from his black Toyota Yaris in Heatley Gardens, Westhoughton, overnight between Thursday and Friday.

It was in a black Fender gig bag and is worth between £700 and £800.

His partner Sophie Woods, aged 23, said: “They tried to break the key lock on the car but couldn’t get in that way and so they smashed the rear driver’s side window, pulled up the lock catch and got in.

“Usually the guitar is hidden quite well so we can’t tell if it was professional job.

“Whoever did it probably knew we had it in the car.”

Mr Hood, aged 27, is a bassist in Yorkshire-based heavy metal band Hamerex and has owned the Schecter bass guitar for about two-and-a-half years.

Ms Woods said: “It was previously owned by someone who was in a much bigger band so it means a lot to Marc personally.

“We drove to London to pick it up when we got it.

“I bought it for him as a present.

“He’s recorded songs with it and has played in bands.

“It’s in mint condition and he takes very good care of it.”

Mr Hood has other bass guitars he can use for performances and practise but none are set up in the same way for optimum sound.

Ms Woods said: “He just keeps getting very upset. He’s a mess.

“I’m the one who had had ring the police and ring round pawn shops because he just can't bring himself to do it.”

The guitar is a South Korean-made black Schecter Stiletto five string with Dunlop strap locks and a black and white tribal strap.

Ms Woods appealed on Facebook for people to keep an eye out for the instrument, saying the thief “caused damage to a vehicle and left an honest and hardworking musician down on his luck”.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting crime number 232788M-16.