A year since the nation came together to find a blind veteran's missing war medals

It has been one year since the nation came together to reunite a 96-year-old veteran with his war medals.

Alfred Barlow - who is blind - was distraught after his medals went missing at a motorway service station on the M6 in 2017.

The medals commemorated his bravery as a soldier in the Second World War, courage that included facing the perils of the terrible D-day landings in France.

His story went viral last year when he made an appeal on ITV News Central for his war medals to be returned - he said he wanted to pass them on to his grandson.

Mr Barlow's emotional plea was viewed more than 2 million times on social media.

It was even noticed by actor Hugh Grant, who offered a £1,000 reward for the medals to be returned.

The Charity Blind Veterans UK also collated a reward fund for Mr Barlow to be reunited with his medals, which reached more than £10,000.

Hearing that the medals had not yet been found, a fellow visually-impaired former serviceman bought replacements from a dealer.

Alan Walker, from Sussex, presented Mr Barlow with the medals at a special ceremony at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

Speaking at Hampton Court, Mr Barlow said: "I am very grateful for all the attention that's been given to me today.

"In fact, not just today, but ever since I lost the medals. I have had a great deal of attention from all corners of the world."