Appeal for lost images

A teaching assistant is appealing for the safe return of 20 years-worth of photographs that were in the boot of her car when it was unexpectedly towed away from her former home.

Mrs Carol Haynes (46) who works at Ollerton Primary School, lost hundreds of family snaps when her dark blue Skoda Felicia was taken from Hazel Road, Ollerton, in December.

Mrs Haynes had been in the process of moving to a new home in Clipstone when the photographs, which are in DVD boxes and sleeves inside a plastic bag, were left in the boot of the car in preparation for moving.

She said the car had been left because she had bought a new one, and the battery had run low. She said her son Mr Chris Haynes (21) had been preparing to move the car from the driveway but had broken his wrist, delaying the car’s move.

However, the car was mistakenly reported as an abandoned vehicle and taken away by a recovery truck, although Mrs Haynes, who lived in Ollerton for 17 years before the move, has not been able to find out who took the car.

She now fears all of her photographs, from her holding her newborn sons to her eldest son receiving trophies when he won motocross races, are lost forever, possibly having been crushed in a scrap yard.

She said neighbours reports had been vague, with some reporting seeing a white van, while others saw a blue and yellow van take the car.

Mrs Haynes said the photographs are her only physical records of her sons’ childhoods, and are irreplaceable.

She said: “I know it should have been moved but I did not think anyone would come along with a large grabber and lift it on to a truck.

“I have been to scrap yards from Newark to Chesterfield but I just cannot find it.

“I am not really bothered about the car, it is the photos I am interested in. I just hoped they are still out there.”

Mrs Haynes said some of the photographs were of her partially-sighted son Ben (15) whose achievements, which were particularly special to him, were often caught on camera.

The Skoda has a registration number P601 JCH.

Mrs Haynes is offering a reward to anyone who can help her trace her photographs. She can be contacted on 07790 206059.