A FATHER-of-two who had his video camera stolen is appealing for the footage it contained of his mother’s last few days and the only video of his brother’s wedding to be returned.

Simon Morgan, 38, of Theydon Grove, Epping, returned home from a trip to Australia, where his mother died of cancer just after Christmas, at 11pm on Monday, January 10, with his family.

As they had just been on the last leg of their flight from Hong Kong and his wife Nicola had to be up at 6am the following morning, they went to bed without unpacking, leaving their suitcases in the car.

When his wife left for work the next morning, she found their luggage was gone, together with a digital camera, video camera and mini-discs of his brother’s wedding which took place less than two weeks before his mother’s death, as well as other treasured photographs of the trip.

“We came back having had this joyous time, balanced with the grief of my mother passing away,” he said. “We came back to start a new year.

“All the memories we have, we would dearly like back and I know they’re worthless to anyone else.”

Four grey Samsonite suitcases were stolen, containing bright red and yellow Surf Australia clothes as well as other items, the Canon video camera and Canon Eos 300 SLR camera, printed-out photos of Australia and tourist leaflets that Mr Morgan’s five-year-old daughter had been collecting for a school project.

Mr Morgan works for the Met Police and said he knew the thieves were likely to throw away everything except the cameras.

He said he was desperate to track down at least the photos and videos, as his brother’s new wife, who is living in Australia until February, does not yet know her only wedding video has been stolen.

“Even if the little oiks that did it would just put the memory cards and discs in a bag and drop them off at the Guardian, that would be something,” he added. “I was the only one who took video of my brother’s wedding.

“He’s not told his wife about it until we can get something sorted out.”

He urged anyone who finds any of the family's property or knows anything about the theft to call Essex Police on 0300 3334444.