York police appeal to trace owners of 'stolen' jewellery

Officers recovered about 50 items of jewellery, including rings, watches and necklaces, when they executed a search warrant at a house in Acomb. They believe the items were stolen in a string of burglaries.

After trawling through incident reports of recent burglaries, officers were able to trace the owners of some of the items.

But, so far, they have been unable to find the rightful owners of the rest of the haul. PC Richard Ogden, who is based at Acomb, is leading the bid to trace the owners of the recovered jewellery.

He said: "This is all property which means something to some people out there. Having your jewellery stolen is not the same as having your television or video taken. Any burglary is a traumatic experience, but while some things can be easily replaced, items of jewellery are often irreplaceable.

"Some of these things may not be worth a great deal but they have a history and sentimental value attached to them. People may have had them for years and years and passed them down the generations."

PC Ogden appealed to anyone who has had jewellery stolen prior to November 31 - the day of the raid - to get in touch. He believes any burglaries in which the goods could have been taken were likely to have been in the few weeks leading up to that date.

He said: "If people think some of these items could belong to them, they should contact us and we will arrange for them to view them."

He also advised people to take photographs of their jewellery and note any details so it is easier for police to trace if it is stolen.

He added that a house alarm was still the number-one deterrent against burglars.

Thieves will choose jewellery above other goods as it is reasonably easy to conceal, carry and sell on.

Anyone who thinks they are the rightful owners of any of the recovered goods should contact PC Ogden or PC Lisa Ambler by calling 01904 631321.

Updated: 11:46 Thursday, February 28, 2002