A Hillside man has been reunited with a ‘family heirloom’ stolen last July thanks to the quick thinking of an alert pawnbroker.
John Heywood wasn’t hopeful of ever recovering the World War 1 medals awarded to his late grandfather Charles Heywood again. But received a surprise phone call in December.
A pawnbroker who had been offered the medals for sale had recognised them and contacted police.
“We were moving house and the medals were in a filing cabinet in our new house,” Mr Heywood said.
The 63-year-old contacted a society with an interest in medals and asked it to circulate information about his grandfather’s medals.
In December a woman attempted to sell some medals to a pawnbroker.
Mr Heywood said the man recognised the medals from an email and convinced the woman to leave them with him telling her “we’d get a better price at an auction”.
“He … got her to fill in paperwork saying the medals were hers.”
Police are continuing their investigations.
Mr Heywood has learned his lesson and no longer keeps the medals at home.
“I can buy new tools but the medals are irreplaceable,” he said.
“They’re a memory of my grandfather and a bit like a family heirloom.”
Can you help?
Anyone with information is urged to call Melton police on 9747 7999.
