Artist Mike Ballard, 38, has just opened an exhibition: Whose coat is that jacket you're wearing? -- consisting of 200-odd coats that Ballard has stolen in a decade-long time in London, UK.

And Ballard now hopes to return as many to the original owners as possible, providing he has enough details of the thefts to convince them.

He was shocked into stopping last year when he took what he fears was a groom's coat complete with diamond ring. "I'm not proud about what I've done and I realize that I need to make amends and return the coats to their rightful owners," he said.

The crime spree began when his smart new purchased jacket was stolen from the Griffin pub in Shoreditch in 1999. Then maybe a month after it had gone, he was really drunk in a pub and it was just a split-second thing. He thought maybe he'll steal his own coat back.

After the first 30 coats or so, he began documenting the date and places of the crimes as well as pocket contents which ranged from tissues to knives.

Ballard, who graduated in fine arts from Central Saint Martins three years ago, admits that putting on the show at Walker's Tailor, Robert Street, is risky. "I hope I don't get into too much trouble," he said. Police were unable to comment.