Veteran cries after late fiancé's stolen engagement ring returned with mysterious note

Darren Horsnell had kept the ringing adjacent to a container with his precocious partner, Tracey's ashes, successful a bosom wrenching motion to the information they ne'er got the accidental to necktie the knot

A seasoned has been reunited with his precocious fiancee's stolen engagement ringing aft it was returned with a mysterious apology note.

Falklands vet, Darren Horsnell, 62, was devastated erstwhile helium returned from a travel to find his location breached into and the sentimental portion of jewellery missing successful September. He pleaded with the thief connected societal media to instrumentality the ringing which had been kept adjacent to the ashes of his precocious partner, Tracey Vick.

The burglary had been made adjacent much distressing by the information it fell connected the 4th day of Tracey's death. But successful an bonzer twist, the ringing was dropped disconnected with a handwritten enactment which simply work "Darren sorry" astatine a veterans foundation wherever helium volunteers.

Darren, of Haslingden Lancs, told the Mirror: “It was posted done the charity’s letterbox. The chap that picked it up thought it was a donation cheque.

"When the admin miss opened it her look was a picture, I kept saying ‘what is it’ and erstwhile I saw it I conscionable fell to bits. I couldn’t assistance but cry. He added: "I consciousness ecstatic to person the ringing backmost with me.”

The burglar besides stole a coagulated golden charm bracelet that had belonged to Tracey, an iPad, a chess acceptable and £2,500 successful currency that Darren had withdrawn to indebtedness to his son. In his archetypal Facebook plea to the thief, Darren wrote: "Here is simply a connection to the idiosyncratic responsible. Keep each the different items, bring backmost the ringing and that volition beryllium the extremity of it arsenic acold arsenic I americium concerned."

Earlier this period the ringing was returned to the Veterans In Communities foundation hub wherever Darren helps different vets retrieve done arts. Now helium suspects it was idiosyncratic helium knows that targeted him, aft realising helium had made a Facebook station astir going connected a sportfishing travel - unwittingly publicising the information his location was unprotected.

Cops are present scanning the mysterious enactment for digit prints and judge the thief penned it with their non-dominant manus to propulsion Darren disconnected the scent. Although his religion successful humanity has been restored Darren added: “It's a disgusting happening to do, and the much I deliberation astir it the much I fishy it was idiosyncratic I know.”

Darren and Tracey had enjoyed a emotion communicative for the ages, having met astatine superior schoolhouse wherever they became puerility sweethearts successful their location metropolis of London. After Darren enlisted, they mislaid interaction for years until the powerfulness of societal media reconnected them successful 2001.

They rekindled their young emotion and were acceptable to beryllium joined erstwhile Darren stunned her with a daze connection astatine his 50th day successful 2012. He popped the question with a diamond and amethyst engagement ringing that Tracey had been eying up successful a section jewellers.

But successful the Covid pandemic Tracey was diagnosed with an assertive chartless superior crab - meaning doctors could not find the source. She passed distant aged 56 successful September 2020.

Darren said: “Social media brought america backmost unneurotic and present it has brought Tracey’s ringing backmost to me”. On his Facebook leafage Darren said: "My religion successful quality kindness was shattered until thousands of you shared a plea, went supra and beyond what was expected, enactment the connection astir contempt not knowing me.

“However, I inactive cannot judge I person the top of pleasance successful letting you each cognize the ringing was returned. There are nary words that I tin deliberation of to accidental however honoured and overwhelmed I was that truthful galore helped successful securing the instrumentality of Tracey Vick’s engagement ring. Thank you is not enough."