THE parents of a baby girl suffering a heart complaint have been burgled and four "irreplaceable" video tapes of their daughter's life stolen.

Mum-of-five Emma Eversfield, from Abertillery, is now desperate for the tapes of 18-month-old Ellie to be returned.

She and her husband Brian and their children were asleep in bed when the burglary occurred between 1am and 6am last Friday.

Their video camera was stolen along with four tapes of little Ellie, who has dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that causes the heart to become enlarged and pump less strongly. Her condition is controlled with medication.

"There was film of all Ellie's life including her first Christmas, her first crawl, her first walk and her eating her first Easter egg," said Mrs Eversfield.

"Because Ellie has cardiomyopathy we wanted to make a record of her life and of her growing up.

"These items are not replaceable and we really want them back." Also taken were a gold and silver guardian angel bracelet that the couple had bought for Ellie and Mrs Eversfield's wedding ring.

"These were all items of sentimental value," she told the Argus. A digital camera and £100 of the £1,500 the family raised for cardiomyopathy research, in a recent 20-mile sponsored walk from Abertillery to Newport, were also taken.

"Luckily the rest of the money was at my mother's house and she has banked it," said Mrs Eversfield.

She said the burglar got into the house through the back door, and neither she nor her husband heard anything during the night.

The couple, who were not insured, have five children, all under the age of 13.

"It has only just hit me really, what could have happened if one of the children had heard something and gone downstairs," she said. Gwent Police said they are investigating the burglary.

Detective Constable Rob Petrie, of Abertillery CID, said if anyone wanted to return the tapes, they could be posted through the police station door. "They are very important to the family, obviously," he said.

Anyone with information about the burglary should contact him on 01495 232325 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.