Freelance artist and design consultant Stratton Hatfield has appealed for the return of his briefcase, which was stolen this week and contained important work documents.

The owner of design company Strativist said he would offer a cash reward for anyone who returned the brown leather Land bag that was taken from his moped on Front Street on Tuesday evening while it was briefly unattended.

The messenger-style bag contained a Mac Book laptop, printed documents and a number of client documents that he was working on.

Mr Hatfield will lose about six months worth of work if it is not returned. He is one of the two-person team who recently created the Island-wide community art project titled “We Are Now”.

“It is really upsetting and disheartening that, just as we completed our art project about bringing the community together, someone would do this,” he said.

“I’m a freelance designer and this laptop has all my files on it so it’s very hard to think I may have to recreate all these projects.”

A police report has been filed and anyone who returns the bag to police will receive an award.