BOLTON magician Richard De Vere found that a trailer he uses for charity work had done a disappearing trick - without any help from him.

With his canine assistant Schnorbitz, a huge St Bernard, Richard collects soft toys and distributes them to children's charities.

Often fans of the pair throw the toys on stage at the end of shows and Richard and Schnorbitz take them round to hospitals and children's homes.

Richard, who is playing The Emperor of China in the pantomime Aladdin at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, admits that he is unable to conjure up another trailer

"The trailer was parked in Chorley Old Road, Bolton," he said. "Thieves must have unhooked it, attached it to another vehicle and driven it away. Without the trailer we are unable to distribute the toys."

Richard is appealing to the thieves to park the trailer and inform the police anonymously about where it is.

Or, he would be grateful if a local business could supply him with another.

Richard, who will be summoning up a magic carpet, a huge cauldron and a death-defying duck during the panto, needs stronger magic than his own to produce another trailer.

"I hope someone can help," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.