Couple’s plea for return of precious hard drive

While Philip Holdsworth and Sarah Emmerson were asleep in their Leamington flat, just feet from them a burglar was in their sitting room rifling through belongings.

The burglary in Portland Place West happened during the early hours of Thursday, December 7.

Items stolen included two laptops, speakers, an Ipod and wine, worth around £1,000.

But it’s the loss of a black Western Digital hard drive that has caused most heartache.

Philip, aged 24, said: “The majority of what’s on the hard drive are social scenes – things like her [Sarah] sister’s wedding.

“She’s upset because she’s lost all the photos from her social life in the last ten years. There are lots of precious memories. Her life’s work is on her hard drive. We don’t care about the laptop, people can do what they want with it, all I want is for the most important woman in my life to have her memories back.”

Sarah, aged 23, who was still upset and shaken by the break-in, is a keen photographer and recently finished a degree course in the subject in Leicester.

Philip, who works in on-line marketing in Birmingham, said they moved to the flat just months ago and were looking forward to life in Leamington, but the burglary has cast a shadow over that.

“Just two weeks ago we were involved in a minor car incident in Leamington and Sarah was extremely surprised with how amazing bystanders and the public were at helping her. One person even came out with a duvet so she could keep warm.

“She was just settling in Leamington, a nice place, then this happens. We’re hoping that finding the hard drive will make us feel positive about staying in Leamington.”

Philip said Sarah has toured pawn shops in the area with details of the hard drive hoping for its return.

Anyone with information can phone 07772 628187.