MILITARY service medals have been stolen from a man who planned to wear them this Remembrance Sunday.

Seven medals were snatched from an outhouse during a burglary at an address on Greville Way, in Newton Aycliffe.

Entry was forced into the secure wooden doors and the briefcase containing the prized possessions was taken.

PC Richard Day, of Newton Aycliffe response team, said: “Unfortunately, the victim cannot be presented with the stolen medals again.

"These medals were a representation of the victim's service which they were due to wear on remembrance Sunday – now, this is not possible.

“I would urge anyone with information relating to the incident or who knows the whereabouts of the stolen medals to call police."

Four of the medals - a General Service Medal, a Gulf Op Telic, a Long Service Medal and an Accumulated Campaign Service Medal - were all inscribed with regiment number 24682003 and name “ABSON”.

The other three medals stolen - a Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and an IFOR medal - were not engraved.

The victim was on holiday when the burglary happened sometime between October 14 and October 24.

  • Anyone with information is asked to call Durham Police on 101, quoting incident number 136 of November 5.