AN ABERGAVENNY grandmother is appealing for help recovering items of high financial and sentimental value after chasing a burglar carrying a pillowcase full of jewellery down her street.
Elizabeth Holder returned home from shopping just after midday on Tuesday.
Walking through her back gate, Ms Holder was greeted by a strange man leaving her house carrying a pillowcase filled with boxes and her husband's tweed suit - still on the hanger.
"It was obviously my jewellery boxes," she said.
"He said 'how are you love?' and I was dumbfounded.
"I said 'what are you doing?'
"I couldn't believe it."
One of the rings which was stolen from Elizabeth Holder
She explained that he had gained entry to the house by throwing a cast iron boot scraper through the door.
The suspect, now sought by police, is described as being a white man in his 50s, of stocky build, around 5ft4 inches tall and had blue eyes.
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He was wearing a pink top and a blue/grey cap and along with similar colour trousers.
He left the scene in a white Ford Connect Transit van.
Ms Holder tried to stop the man from getting past, but he fled from the scene. She chased after him and managed to take a picture of his van on her phone.
"But, he ran around me and down the road," she said.
"It was all so quick - about half a minute.
"I was absolutely fuming, but you go into shock."
Ms Holder has said that, before returning home, she had visited her mother's grave to leave flowers.
A selection of the jewellery boxes which were stolen
Some of the objects stolen were given to her by her mother.
"They remind me of her," she said.
"I'm heartbroken to have lost those items."
However, she explained that she is "not going to let him get me down".
The stolen items include:
- Green tweed suit - size 36R trouser and 42 jacket
- Aquamarine and diamond gold ring
- 18ct yellow gold clip on opal earrings
- Ladies vintage stainless steel Omega automatic watch with a blue dial
- 9ct gold topaz ring
- 18ct white gold solitaire white sapphire ring
- 18ct white gold ring with four diamonds
- 18ct white gold eternity ring with five diamonds
- 18ct yellow gold wide wedding ring
- Pair of Chanel clip-on gold earrings encrusted with white stones
- Handmade silver bracelet with large links and T-bar fastening
- Yellow gold Victorian oval ring with six diamonds set inside and with small crescent shapes around the outside of the oval
- Solid silver jewellery box
- Harrods green snakeskin jewellery box
- Mirrored glass jewellery box with three drawers
Officers are carrying out enquiries and are appealing for information.
The man drove away in the direction of Raglan
Police staff investigator Emma Giannuzzi said: “We are appealing for anyone who may have been offered any of these items for sale to please get in contact with us. If you have any information or recognise the description of the suspect, we would urge you to come forward.”
Anyone with information that could assist the police investigation is asked to call Gwent Police on 101, quoting log reference 2100236048.
You can also contact police via social media on Facebook and Twitter or you can report any information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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