Dali painting stolen from New York prison lobby

A Salvador Dali painting donated to New York City's Rikers Island prison in 1965 has been stolen, despite a 24-hour guard in the lobby.

A corrections officer discovered the painting of Christ on the cross was missing on Sunday. It had been replaced by a copy stapled to the back of the double-locked display case.

Dali sent the painting to the jail in lieu of a talk he had promised to give to inmates but had to cancel due to illness.

In 1985, the painting was valued at US$175,000, ($315,000) but it is now believed to be worth up to three times that.