A classical violinist is pleading for help from the public after leaving a 310-year-old violin worth £250,000 on a train.

Stephen Morris forgot to pick up his handmade David Tecchler violin as he left the London to Orpington service at Penge East last Tuesday night.

Dated to 1709, the instrument was one of only a few made by Tecchler, a master craftsman considered to be the leading violin and cello maker of the renowned Roman school of violin-making.

Morris described the violin as “a piece of history” and is urging anyone who found it to return it. “It’s devastating to lose it and quite apart from its value, it’s my livelihood,” he told BBC News.

“I was really only its custodian – one of many people who have played it – and I had hoped to pass it on to another violinist eventually.”

The recently restored violin was in a white case when Morris left it on the train, which departed from Victoria at 11.58pm. Inside, it is marked with Tecchler’s name. Morris reported it to lost luggage and police, but no one had handed it in.

He said British Transport Police told him they would look through CCTV footage from the journey to see if they could spot anyone leaving the train with the violin.

Morris has led a number of UK orchestras and performed as a soloist alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and as guest soloist director with the Scottish Ensemble and Locrian Ensemble.

As a session musician, he has recorded with James Brown, Stevie Wonder, David Gilmour and U2. Losing the violin was “like having my arm cut off”, he told BBC News.