A FORMER Middlesbrough Mayoral candidate's home was ransacked while he holidayed in Turkey.

Len Junier, who stood as an independent candidate for Mayor, said that sentimental items, including photographs of his dead father-in-law and even a lock of his hair, were stolen from his home in Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough.

Speaking from Turkey, the former Middlesbrough councillor branded the burglars "low life scum" and appealed for anyone being offered TVs or laptops to contact him or the police.

Pictures of grandchildren and the treasured photo of his wife's late father - including a lock of his hair - had been stolen, as well as a picture of her late uncle, who died young.

But Mr Junier said the lock of hair had now been found not far from the property, where it was dropped by the burglars.

A memory box kept by his wife, which contained sentimental items including his son's communion candle, rosary beads, and keepsakes from their son and daughter's childhoods, had also been ransacked.

Mr Junier was enjoying a family holiday but said: "It has destroyed the holiday. We hadn't been away for a few years and we were really enjoying it - but it is awful when you get that phone call.

"We had some family and friends looking after the house. They had gone round and the back door had been smashed."

He said as well as televisions, a laptop with all his daughter's university work on had been stolen. She is studying criminology. Thousands of family photos were also stored on the laptop, but he said he hoped they were backed up.

"We thought about coming straight home but then we thought it wouldn't make much difference," he said. "We have decided to stay out until the end of the holiday. We have very kind family and friends and I know they will have made sure the house is spotless before we return.

"The thing that really upsets me is I think we probably know whoever it is. I have heard some names bandied about - Brambles Farm is like that, we look after our own."

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "I can confirm that there was a burglary on Pallister Avenue, Brambles Farm and it was reported at 1.29am on July 19."

Mr Junier represented North Ormesby and Brambles Farm on Middlesbrough Council until the May elections, when he stood for Mayor as an independent candidate. He was deselected from the Labour Party last year and quit the party.