'Devastated' Family Appeal To Find Service Medals Given To Stranger By Dementia Sufferer

John Tomlin's medals, including one from the Korean War, went missing around four weeks ago (Picture: Robert Tomlin).

A woman has appealed for service medals belonging to her late father to be returned after her mother, who has dementia, gave them away to an "unknown stranger". 

Annie Brookes, from Leicester, said her mother Molly handed the medals to an "unknown stranger" around four weeks ago and are still missing, leaving the family "devastated".

"She [Molly] had his beret and medals on his pillow of the bed as a comfort to her, but then they too disappeared, " Ms Brookes said.

During the 1950s, Ms Brookes' father John Tomlin was in the 10th Royal Hussars, serving in Germany and fighting in the Korean War.

Ms Brookes said her father, who died in February, "was very proud" of his time in the Army.

Four medals were awarded to Mr Tomlin for his tours of Germany and Korea, as well as one from the United Nations and another which Ms Brookes says she cannot remember.

Ms Brookes said the German medal had her father's name engraved on the back and that she can still remember the serial number.

The medals were supposed to have been passed onto Mr Tomlin's grandson, with the family offering a reward for their return.