Missing charity flight toy giraffe returned to owner

Vickie Hall said the toy had a high sentimental value for her

A cuddly toy giraffe that was one of 500 to take part in a special charity flight has been returned to its owner after going missing for six weeks.

Jofre the giraffe took off from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire at the end of April as part of the Giraffes on Tour fundraising campaign for Great Ormond Street.

Vickie Hall, 51, had made a donation for Jofre to go on the flight but its return was delayed after being seemingly lost in the post, prompting an apology from the Royal Mail.

However, it has since arrived back at her home in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, via Special Delivery.

Each giraffe was supposed to be sent back to their owners with memorabilia of the flight and a special certificate.

Jofre the toy giraffe boarded the flight at RAF Brize Norton and was expected back at the end of April

Mrs Hall, a support worker, said when Jofre did not arrive as expected on 29 April she called Royal Mail to "track his whereabouts".

"I was very concerned that he hadn't come home and was lost," she said.

She said the giraffe was tracked to Northampton before mysteriously heading to Belfast.

It was a condition to have a contact name and address on the toys that had taken part in the flight.

"I think they had a bit of a poke and saw the return address, and they kindly sent him home," she said.

Mrs Hall said Jofre arrived via a Special Delivery package

She said she was relieved the toy - which has a high sentimental value for her - had arrived back and was grateful for the messages she had received from people across Europe who had expressed concern.

A Royal mail spokesperson had previously apologised for "the inconvenience this customer experienced", and added that it was "not representative" of the company's usual service.

The Giraffes on Tour flight saw an RAF Voyager take-off for an air-to-air refuelling mission.

The campaign was the idea of the pilot father of nine-year-old Louise Conway, who died of leukaemia in 2013 and always kept her giraffe Geoffrey by her side during treatment at Great Ormond Street.