The British transport police recovered a £1.2-million ($1.87-million Cdn) antique violin that was stolen from an internationally acclaimed violinist Min Jin Kym in 2010 when she stopped for a snack in London. The Stradivarius violin is over 300 years old.

The 1696 violin was taken from a Pret-a-Manger location at Euston Station in London in November 2010. It was robbed along with two bows, a Peccatte bow valued at £62,000 and another bow, made by the School of Bazin, valued at over £5,000. The 35-year-old interpret said she only placed it down for a second before it disappeared.

"The loss of the instrument and the acute responsibility I felt, was at the back of my mind at every moment of the day," she said.

On Tuesday, British Transport Police officers found the instrument intact with minor damage in its case along with the bows at a property in central England last week.

When the release of CCTV images followed, John Maughan along with two teenagers were detained and sentenced in connection with the theft in 2011. The instrument and bows were not recovered - until now, however. He and two accomplices had attempted to sell it for £100 in an internet cafe not distant from Euston.

Kym said, "I'd played the instrument since I was a teenager, so it was a huge part of my identity for very many years. The theft was a crushing blow ... When [the detectives] told me the good news, it didn't feel real. I've now gone from devastation to the other end of the scale - an incredible feeling of elation that hasn't left me."

Detective chief inspector Simon Taylor said: "We're delighted to have recovered the violin after a long and very complex investigation. I'd like to pass my thanks to all those who have supported our investigation over the last three years, including colleagues from other police forces and Lark Insurance, as well as the many members of the antique business who helped us."