Burglar blow as Balsall Common family sleeps

Aug 22 2008

THIEVES have stolen treasured photos and charity donations from a family of a teenager who died from meningitis.

The raid happened while the parents of 17-year-old Tom Wyatt, were asleep after returning from a fund-raising trek along the Great Wall of China.

Taken were a laptop containing photos of Tom and university work by his 20-year-old sister, Sarah.

They also took two digital cameras with photos from the trip, jewellery and Tom’s dad Michael’s mobile phone and company car, a silver Subaru Legacy. Today the family made a heartfelt plea for the thieves to hand back the laptop and cameras.

The family’s bungalow, in Gipsy Lane, Balsall Common, near Solihull, had been Tom’s home until he died last March.

Michaelsaid: “I’m just devastated. We’re not worried about the cameras and laptop, just the material on there because they are our memories.

“This kicks us when we are already down.

“We never heard a thing. We went to bed early because we still have a bit of jet-lag and trekking along the wall was quite physically demanding.

“If nothing else, we would hopefully appeal that someone would hand them back in.”

They were joined on the six-day trek in China by Sarah, who is studying geography in Hull, and Tom’s girlfriend of three years, 18-year-old Laura Ward.

More than £30,000 has been raised so far for a memorial fund for the Meningitis Trust.

About £60 was raised from selling reciope books which were created by a church youth group.

Michael, aged 51, a garage general manager, added: “The complete community of Balsall Common have been really great to us since we lost Tom.

“They were all devastated because he was the fittest, healthiest lad you could ever meet.”

For more information about the memorial fund go on-line to www.tomwyatt.co.uk.

* Anyone with information about the burglary, which happened on Wednesday between 10pm and about 11.50pm, is asked to call West Midlands Police on 0845 113 5000.