Hugh Grant Offers £1000 Reward For Blind Veteran's Medals

Film star Hugh Grant has been so touched by the tale of Alfred Barlow he's offered a reward of a thousand pounds for the return of his World War II medals.

The 95 year old D-Day veteran mislaid his medals at a motorway service station as he was returning home from a pilgrimage to Normandy, France, earlier this month. His wife and grandson noticed that his four medals were missing after he visited the gents' toilets at the Norton Canes Services near Walsall on the M6 Toll on June 8.

Hugh Grant made his offer in a Tweet, promising anonymity if anyone handed them in.

The four medals lost are the 1939-1945 Star, the France & Germany Star, the 1939-1945 War Medal and the Palestine Medal. 

His grandson immediately retraced their steps, asked at all outlets and the designated lost property depot but they were nowhere to be seen.

Mr Barlow, who turns 96 on June 25, served with 3rd Reconnaissance (Recce) Regiment, 3rd Division, and landed on Sword Beach at 10am on D-Day, June 6 1944.

He said: "I have found it all very distressing.

"These medals are worth very little to sell but to me they are priceless."

"I had intended to pass all of my medals on to my grandson which makes it even more upsetting.

"My grandson and friends in the local Normandy Veterans Association have been fantastic in making contact with all possible options to see if they've turned up but so far we've had nothing.

"That's why I want to get the message out to anyone who may have found or seen them.

"It would make my birthday if I was able to have them back again."

He is offering a reward to anyone who is able to help return the medals to him.

Mr Barlow started receiving support from Blind Veterans UK after losing his sight through macular degeneration and glaucoma much later in life and is asking for anyone with information on the return of the medals to contact the sight loss charity on the free:

Blind Veterans UK hotline on 0800 389 7979.