Stolen medals of ex-SAS hero from Hereford to be returned to his family

Medals belonging to John McAleese will be given to his daughters Credit: ITV News Central

Army badges stolen from an ex-SAS soldier hailed a hero for his role in ending the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege are to be returned to his family today.

The SAS and Parachute Regiment cap badges belonged to John McAleese, who died in August 2011.

Mr McAleese was part of the team which ended the six-day siege of the Iranian Embassy in 1980 by storming the building and rescuing the hostages being held captive by gunmen.

He was hailed a hero after blasting open a window so his elite unit could enter the Embassy.

The medals were stolen from his Hereford home during a burglary and were found by West Midlands police officers in 2010, hidden in the boot of a drug dealer's car.

John McAleese died before he could be reunited with his medals Credit: ITV News Central

But before the officer who found the medals could reunite him with his medals, 62-year-old Mr McAleese suffered a fatal heart attack while on holiday in Greece and died.

PC Alan Reeves made repeated attempts to contact Mr McAleese's next of kin without success including enquiries through the SAS base in Hereford.

Finally, a former army colleague responded to a Facebook message earlier this year and put him in touch with one of the ex-SAS soldier's daughters.

The medals will be handed to Mr McAleese's daughter Jessica at Sutton Coldfield police station this afternoon.