A former Royal Engineer had his service medals stolen in a burglary at his home in St Neots at the weekend.

Patrick Pearson, 77, returned home from lunch at his daughter’s house on Sunday evening to find that his house had been ransacked.

His daughter, Nicola, has launched an appeal to reunite her father with the medals saying that he is ‘heartbroken’ by what has happened.

A reward is now being offered by the family for anyone who can return the medals to Mr Pearson.

The medals include a Royal Engineer’s medal and a medal recognising service in the Radfan campaign in South Arabia, which are engraved with PS Pearson 23246896 on the back.

Nicola Pearson said: “My dad had just been for lunch at my house in Buckden, when he returned home in a taxi. When the taxi dropped him off he realised that the light was on in his house, so the taxi driver kindly came into his house to make sure that no-one was still there.

“They had smashed his back window and ransacked his home. His medals, which were his life earnings, were stolen along with cufflinks and other sentimental items.

“I really don’t know what kind of heartless person would do this to a vulnerable man, we have been spending our time cleaning up the mess and looking after my father, who is shaken up.”

As well as the medals, two cameras were stolen, a bottle of Dimple HAIG Whiskey, 10 sets of cufflinks, a bottle of wine and a pair of varifocals.

Nicola said: “These medals aren’t even worth much money, but they mean a lot to my dad and I really want to get them returned to him. If anyone has any information please come forward.”

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire police said: “Police were called on Sunday at 7.56pm to reports of a burglary in Gazelle Close, Eaton Socon, in which electrical goods and medals were reportedly stolen from the victim, a man in his 70s.

“Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting 35/47710/18 or report online at www.cambs.police.uk/report.”