One stood out: it was written by Ian Horne, a sound engineer with Wings, who was able to inform investigators of the instrument’s last known whereabouts – three years later than the band’s final live performance.Mr Horne reported that the bass was stolen some time after 10pm on October 10, 1972. from the Ladbroke Grove area of Notting Hill, west London.
“We knew there was a huge padlock on the back doors, but when I got up in the morning and saw the van, with the broken padlock lying in the road, I knew it was bad news.Advertisement He said: “I knew it was Paul’s original Hofner bass that had been stolen, and I knew what it meant to him. [We] did all we could to find it, but it was gone. Eventually we had to go to Paul’s house and tell him that the gear had been stolen from the back of the truck.