ASHES STOLEN FROM FAMILY ON KINGSMEAD ESTATE

A Kingsmead family is appealing for help after their belongings, including a child’s wheelchair and a relative’s ashes, were stolen from their car in the early hours of Friday morning.

Lynda Watt and her family returned home from holiday around 2am, parking their car under their carport in Kingsmead, just a few houses up from the Co-op. Within 30 minutes of arriving home, four suitcases and their daughter’s wheelchair were stolen from the unlocked vehicle.

Among the stolen items were two blue suitcases, one black suitcase, and one cream suitcase containing clothing, dirty laundry, and sentimental items, including a gift chosen by the children and a container holding Lynda’s late father’s ashes.

“This was entirely my fault for not locking the car, and I feel awful,” said Lynda. “But I’m hoping someone nearby might have CCTV or Ring doorbell footage from between 2am and 3am that could help us recover our things.”

The family now believe they may have captured some footage around 2:38am, which could show the suspects or movement near their property.

The theft has been reported to Thames Valley Police, and since then, some of the stolen clothes and the wheelchair have been found in nearby areas. However, the most precious item, the ashes of Lynda’s late father, is still missing.

“We’re so grateful that some things have been recovered,” said Lynda. “But what really matters most to us is getting my dad’s ashes back home where they belong. If anyone finds them or knows where they might be, please, please come forward.”

Other residents have already begun offering potential leads. One neighbour mentioned seeing clothing scattered along the left-hand side of the road near the bottle dump roundabout heading into Newton Longville. Another reported spotting items on the path at the top of Penhow with Saltwood, including a large rattle and a blue ball.

Anyone living in or around Kingsmead, Oxley Park, Westcroft, or Whaddon is asked to check their CCTV, Ring doorbells, or dashcam footage from between 2am and 3am on the morning of the theft.

If you find any of the stolen items, especially the ashes, which were inside one of the stolen suitcases, please contact Thames Valley Police and reference this incident