Art thieves have forced a group of artists to scrap its annual exhibition at Shipley Library.

Meanwhile a village art club is considering whether to show its members' paintings at the venue again while a third group has vowed to step up security when its pictures are displayed there.

Last autumn Baildon Art Club had three paintings stolen from the library in Well Croft during an exhibition while a dozen pictures being shown by members of the Anchorage Art Group for the over-50s were taken from the same venue earlier this month.

Last summer the Telegraph an Argus reported how the Yorkshire Itinerants (Artists for Charity) were considering scrapping its annual spring exhibition at Shipley Library.

The group - which gives a proportion of its proceeds to charity - complained about having the amount of commission it is charged increased from 15 to 25 per cent and a decision to stop it raffling off an original picture during the exhibition.

The group's publicity manager Sheila Turner said they had planned to put on a two-week exhibition at the library in April.

But she added: "After getting a letter from the librarian informing us that several paintings have been stolen recently we have regrettably thrown in the towel and decided to call it a day. ''

"They said we could screw the paintings to the walls but that would damage the frames and with more than 200 pictures it would take a considerable amount of time, effort and money.''

Baildon Art Club chairman Pat Bentley said: "Whether or not we have our autumn exhibition there is still in the balance but we've said to our members that if we do it will be up to them if they put their pictures in.''

Bill Maskew, chairman of the Shipley-based Anchorage group, said: "We'll carry on exhibiting there - to be forced out would be an admission of defeat to the people who took them - but we'll certainly have to make it more difficult for the thieves to get at the pictures. I think the library needs better security.''

Bradford Council's principal librarian Margaret Minshull said they were investigating the thefts and would keep groups informed about the inquiry.