Stolen medals returned to British Army veteran

Two service medals have been reunited with a British Army veteran

Service medals found during a litter pick in Devon have been reunited with their owner - a British Army veteran.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the former serviceman, from Plymouth, was targeted by burglars who forced entry to his property and stole various items in September 2019.

Peter 'Mitch' Mitchell said the items held "sentimental significance", and was "humbled" by the local litter picking group who found them.

Clean Our Patch community interest company found the items hidden in a pillowcase in a carrier bag near the former railway depot at Laira on 28 August.

The litter picking group issued an appeal after finding the medals in a pillowcase

The community group issued an appeal on social media and after finding a crime reference number, handed the items to police.

Mr Mitchell said he received a call from police on 30 August and described it as "strange" as he was having a new door fitted to replace the one damaged in the burglary.

Police said he had to wait five years to get a proper door fitted due to it being a specialist frame and having "various complications along the way".

"I dismissed the burglary from my mind, as it followed just a few months after my wife Jesse passed away from cancer, marking a challenging period for everyone," said Mr Mitchell.

Peter Mitchell said he saw the appeal and he recognised an old picture of his late wife's daughter

He said: "I was invited to collect these items, unaware of their condition after years in a box.

"While most were low value, they held great sentimental significance, including a rare jade Buddha pendant, as the more valuable materials had long been lost."

Mr Mitchell said: "I would like to say, one is humbled by the volunteer litter pickers who, despite challenging times, chose to return their findings and generously dedicate their time to clean up after us."

Mr Mitchell served in the British Army, initially with the Parachute Regiment before transferring to the Royal Logistic Corps, serving with both airborne and commando forces throughout his five-year career.

Peter Mitchell said the two medals had been awarded for Operation Haven

He said the two medals located were for Operation Haven - a relief effort aimed at resettling 450,000 Kurdish refugees.

"Having just returned from Norway after some three months arctic-warfare training, a few of us had flown-in in advance of the brigade to work with the US troops to secure, identify and locate vulnerable Kurds with the Kurdish Peshmerga still active," said Mr Mitchell.

"Operating one minute in sub-zero artic conditions to middle eastern heat was interesting."

Co-founder of Clean Our Patch El Clarke said: "It was important for us to do everything we could to get them back to their rightful owner.

'Really happy'

She said: "Coming from a military background medals hold a lot of importance and we are really happy that they are back where they belong."

Officers from the priority crime investigation team said they were delighted to reunite the medals awarded to Mr Mitchell in recognition for his efforts serving the country and protecting lives of others.

“Although we were not able to identify the suspect who carried out the burglary, our extensive inquiries had reunited Peter with some of the stolen items prior to the most recent discovery."

Officers added they were able to locate a piece of Mr Mitchell's jewellery in a Plymouth shop shortly after the crime following a photo appeal, and a watch was found in Manchester.