POLICE have issued an appeal to trace war medals said to carry sentimental family value that were stolen in a house burglary.

The missing honours, awarded for service in the Second World War, were taken in a break-in in the village of Hamsterley Mill, near Consett, County Durham, on Friday.

They are said to hold such sentimental value as they belonged to the householder’s late mother and father.

One of them is a Defence Medal, 1939 to 1945, while the other is a 1945 War Medal.

An online posting by police in Consett urged readers to share the images, adding: “Hopefully, the culprits will be shamed into making sure they get returned to their rightful owner.”

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the medals, or who may have seen anything suspicious in the Parklands area of Hamsterley Mill, between the hours of 7.30am and 8.20pm, on Friday, is urged to contact police, using the 101 non-emergency line.

They are asked to speak to either Detective Constable Steve Gothard or Det Con Jason Corbett, quoting the reference CRI00032461 Consett Police.