Veteran has late fiancée's engagement ring returned to him after burglary

The ring was returned with a simple message. Credit: Facebook

An engagement ring belonging to the late fiancée of a veteran has been anonymously returned to him after being stolen during a house burglary on the anniversary of her death.

Darren Horsnell was devastated when he discovered his late fianceé Tracey Vick's engagement ring, which had been sitting on top of her ashes in his home, had been taken after his house was broken into.

To compound matters the burglary, at his house in Haslingden, Lancashire, fell on the fourth anniversary of Tracey's death from cancer.

Following the theft, in September, the Falklands veteran, who volunteers for forces and blue light charity Veterans In Communities (VIC), took to social media to plea for the return of the ring.

He wrote: "Here is a message to the person responsible. Keep all the other items, bring back the ring and that will be the end of it as far as I am concerned.

"Post it in the letter box, leave it by the front door, do whatever you want but give it back to me."

Darren Horsnell issued a plea on Facebook to get the ring back. Credit: LancsLive

The appeal was shared on the charity’s Facebook page, as well as the front page of local paper Rossendale Free Press, and on the VIC’s newsletter which is emailed all over the world.

Just over two weeks later the ring was anonymously returned to Darren after being left in the letter box at VIC with a simple message which read, 'Darren Sorry'.

Posting on his Facebook page once more, Darren said: "My faith in human kindness was shattered until thousands of you shared a plea, went above and beyond what was expected, put the word about despite not knowing me and going on the front page of Rossendale Free Press.

“However, I still cannot believe I have the greatest of pleasure in letting you all know the ring was returned. On Tuesday October 8 a member of VIC found the ring posted in the letter box of Veterans in Communities.

“There are no words that I can think of to say how honoured and overwhelmed I was that so many helped in securing the return of Tracey Vick’s engagement ring. Thank you is not enough.

“Without the help of friends and family, the staff, and members of Veterans in Communities I would have never seen the ring again."