Cheshire dad's 'priceless' reminders of dead son stolen

Jay Holden was a "fun-loving lad" and a big Manchester United fan, his father said

A grieving father has pleaded for the return of "priceless" mementos of his dead son.

Mark Holden's car was broken into at Manchester Airport on Sunday, 20 January.

Thieves stole cushions that were made from t-shirts that belonged to his son Jay, who died in a road accident in 2022.

He is now asking that the culprits "have a heart" and return the treasured reminders of the 23-year-old.

Mr Holden said he kept the cushions in the front seat of his car when driving alone.

He added: "They gave me so much comfort and made me feel close to Jay.

"I am currently feeling distraught and absolutely disgusted that some people can be so evil."

The cushions were handmade by Mark Holden's mother

In a Facebook post that has been shared thousands of times, Mr Holden, 50, said the cushions were "worthless to anybody else but are priceless to me".

He told BBC Radio Manchester he "felt sick" when he realised the cushions - which had been made by Jay's grandmother - had been taken.

A car key, spare glasses and bottles of aftershave were also stolen from the car, which was parked on International Approach.

Greater Manchester Police said it had investigated the theft from the vehicle, but added: "Unfortunately, after conducting several lines of enquiries no suspect could be identified.

"If further evidence comes to light, officers will reopen the case to ensure a prompt and effective investigation can continue to take place."

Jay Holden worked with his dad at electrical company Barlows UK

A Manchester Airport spokesman said: "We are saddened to learn of this appalling theft."

The spokesman added: "We take the security of our car parks extremely seriously and have an extensive CCTV network as well as a dedicated team that patrols them.

"Millions of passengers use our parking facilities every year and, thanks to the measures we have in place, incidents like this are extremely rare."