Heartless train thief steals war medals
AGRIEVING family has been left devastated after callous thieves stole a Cheadle war hero’s medals from his son just hours after his father’s funeral.
Keith Ridings, 64, was returning from his father Ken’s funeral on the 11.17am train between Birmingham New Street and Exeter St Davids on Tuesday when the medals were taken.
Keith had left his bag on the luggage rack but found it missing when he exited the train at Exeter.
The medals were won by his father between 1945 and 1948.
He said: “I inherited these medals from my father’s estate only a couple of weeks ago.
“When I discovered these medals were missing, I felt a complete sense of loss and disappointment.
“Those medals were earned by my father when he served in North Africa and the Middle East.
“It upsets me that someone is in possession of those medals, who has no idea what my father went through to earn them.”
The bag also contained clothes and various personal items.
The British Transport Police has, along with distraught family members, are now appealed for the return of the medals.
Ken Ridings’ grandaughter, Nicola, 44, also appealed for the return of the medals.
She said: “The family as a whole are bereft.
“My grandfather treasured them and attended the cenotaph in Cheadle without fail each year to lay a wreath.”
“The whole family, both young and old would come together on Remembrance Sunday to support him, stand alongside him and pay our respects.”
As the British Transport Police launched their appeal Nicola, who is also from Cheadle, urged those who had taken them to come forward saying: “We implore you to anonymously hand them in so that they can be passed down to future generations within my grandfather’s family.”
Investigating officer PC Gary Archer from Exeter station said: “We are reviewing CCTV and working to trace those responsible but if you recognise these medals or know who took them, I urge you to get in touch immediately.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting 149 of 17/06.