A TEACHER who lost her partner to a brain tumour has made a heartfelt plea for stolen photographs of him to be returned.

Laura Hind returned from a weekend away on Sunday, July 19, to find her home on Pool Road, Otley, burgled.

The intruder had stolen her laptop computers, hard drives and digital camera - and with them virtually every photograph she had of her late partner, John Cowan, and their ten years together.

Mr Cowan was diagnosed with a brain tumour a week before last Christmas, and died a few weeks later, aged 39, on January 6.

Laura, who teaches at Pool-in-Wharfedale, said: "I arrived back to find that the house had been ransacked and my current laptop and the old one, plus the hard drives and a camera, had been taken.

"They contained just about all my photographs from the last ten years and it feels like all my memories of John have been lost.

"I have some photos in my phone and one or two around the house, but the vast majority were on the computer.

"Photographs are one of the only sources of comfort when someone dies, and without them it just makes it harder than it has to be.

"I don't care about getting the laptops or camera back, just the hard drives so I can have the photos again."

The break-in is being investigated by West Yorkshire Police, who came out to check for fingerprints and make door to door enquiries.

Laura, meanwhile, has started up an online appeal - ?#?bringmebackmyphotos - on her Facebook page in a last-ditch attempt to get the images back.

The 36-year-old said: "It has to be worth a try - at this stage anything is.".

The appeal shows a photograph of Laura and John with the text: "My laptops and external hard drives containing precious photographs of me and my partner, John, who passed away in January, were stolen over the weekend.

"I don't care about the computer, I just want the hard drives back! If anyone knows anything, finds a discarded red laptop bag or is buying second-hand laptops, please, have a conscience!"

By yesterday the message had been shared by 870 people, and sparked dozens of posts of sympathy and support.

?Mark Walter said: "My God. Am so sorry Laura. The power of the Internet will bring them all back. Much love."

Lynne Hopwood posted: "Have shared your post, fingers crossed you get some good news."

The items taken included an HP and a Toshiba laptop, a Nikon D60 digital camera, and two hard drives.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Outer North West Neighbourhood Policing Team, on 101, or Crimestoppers - anonymously - on 0800 555 111.