Distraught couple Louise and Mark Smith are appealing for the safe return of a treasured painting of their wedding and honeymoon destination – stolen from a supermarket trolley in Shepton Mallet's Tesco store on Sunday morning.

The newlyweds and 70 of their friends and relations had only just returned home from a week away in Slovenia for their wedding.

Louise's mum and step-dad Jackie and John Stadden, from Shapway Road, Evercreech, had bought the painting of the island church at Lake Bled in Slovenia as a souvenir to treasure forever of that very special occasion.

The wedding party flew home on Saturday after a fantastic week away.

On Sunday morning Jackie and John went shopping at Tesco in Shepton and were looking for a nice frame for the painting.

They took the mounted painting in a brown envelope with them so they could get the right-sized frame. But when they returned home with all their shopping, they found it was missing. They believe it was stolen from the trolley when they were not looking.

The whole family is heartbroken by the loss. Louise, a teacher who lives at Crewkerne with husband Mark, an avionics engineer, said: "We are all so upset.

"We just hope that whoever took it will hear our story and have a conscience and return it. It can mean nothing to anyone else and is of little monetary value – but it has huge sentimental value for all of us."

Louise has sent the Journal a photo of a painting of the church – it is not the exact painting that was stolen but it is very similar to the one lost.

Tesco store manager Stewart Collins said he was shocked to hear about the incident.

"They must be so upset," he said.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary have been informed and anyone with information about the lost painting is urged to contact the police or call the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 and tell them where the painting might be found.