Gateshead Falklands veteran receives stolen war medals 15 years after they were stolen
Video report by Amy Lea
A Falklands War veteran from Gateshead "couldn't believe it" when he received his stolen war medals as a birthday present, fifteen years after they were stolen.
Former Chief Petty Officer Anthony Paterson was left devastated when his South Atlantic Medal, awarded to servicemen and women who served during the Falklands War, and his 2002 Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal were stolen.
Anthony Paterson's distinguished career saw him serve in the Royal Navy for 24 years. He said it was 'painful' when his medals were taken from a house on Mowbray Road in South Shields.
As the years passed, Anthony reluctantly accepted he would never get the sentimental relics back – until his wife Lorraine spotted them up for sale on a London-based medal website a few months ago.
That allowed detectives in Northumbria to spring into action, locating the business and asking their counterparts at the Metropolitan Police to seize them.
On July 20, just eight days after Anthony’s 57th birthday, police visited his home in Pelaw and were able to reunite him with his well-earned medals after they had successfully been transported back to the North East.
Mr Paterson said he came close to finding the medals back in 2010.
Mr Paterson said he continued to check online to see if he could find them.
Anthony’s wife searched online for ‘Falklands medals for sale’ a few months ago and spotted the items up for sale again – this time on a London-based medal selling website, along with a comprehensive lowdown of his two decades of service.
Anthony rang Northumbria Police who then tracked them down and returned them.
Jarrow-born Anthony joined the Royal Navy aged 16 and served on HMS Brilliant during the Falklands War in 1982.
He then went on to serve on various ships including HMS Euryalus and HMS Illustrious, the latter which saw him travel to the Far East in 1997 to oversee the handover of Hong Kong to China.
After 24 years’ service, Anthony left the Navy in 2004 as a Chief Petty Officer – and went on to open a bar in Benidorm, which he named ‘Jarrow Lad’, before returning to the North East in 2008.