Dying dad's Scunthorpe Utd gift to daughter given to charity in error

Dave with daughter Sydney wearing the shirt she was given for her eighth birthday

A football jersey gifted to a girl by her father before he died from brain cancer has mistakenly been donated to charity.

Sydney, 10, received the Scunthorpe United top for her eighth birthday.

Married father-of-three Dave died on 6 November last year, aged 46.

The family believe the shirt, which holds precious memories for Sydney, was donated to local charity Lindsey Lodge Hospice and are desperate to be reunited with it.

Father-of-three Dave died from brain cancer last year, aged 46

Dave's widow Nicki said Sydney "absolutely loved" the shirt.

"She wore it for every game that she went to with Daddy," she said.

Nicki said her heart sank when she realised she must have donated the shirt to Lindsey Lodge.

"I went into a bit of a meltdown," she said. "I said to Sydney, 'it must be upstairs in your cupboard'. She said, 'it isn't, Mummy'.

"The only thing I can think is that it has ended up with everything that I took to Lindsey Lodge's distribution centre."

Sydney treasured the Scunthorpe United shirt given to her by her father

Nicki said she recalled taking items to the charity in May.

The shirt displays Sydney's name and the number 8 on the back.

As well as denoting the girl's birthday, the digit was also her father's old squad number when he played for a local side.

Friends advised the family to use social media to help track down the shirt.

Lindsey Lodge Hospice has told the family their teams are also searching high and low for the shirt.

Sydney has turned to football - the sport adored by her father - to help her come to terms with her loss, according to her mother.

"She plays it at school," said Nicki. "She goes to football practice, she wants me taking her everywhere, to Scunthorpe and Chelsea games."

The family are pinning their hopes on someone, somewhere, still being in possession of the shirt that holds the most special place in Sydney's heart.