A REWARD of £100 has been offered for the return of a family heirloom stolen by cruel thieves last week.

Maxine Nield's silver Marquasite watch, left to her by her late grandparents, was taken a day before their ashes were due to be buried.

Mother Olive Stretch, of Cheshire Street, Audlem, said she had put up the reward because the watch was of great sentimental value to the family.

"It's about 40 years old and my dad bought it for my mum on holiday, we don't honestly know what it's worth," she said.

"Mum really wanted Maxine to have it. She was her first grandaughter and she promised her as a little girl that one day she would have the watch.

"She has only had it for five weeks. How would the robbers feel if they had lost their mum and dad and something they had promised their grandaughter all their life had been stolen?

"I only found out on the way into the cemetery. It has been hard enough to cope with the loss without this happening as well."

Mrs Nield, of Weston Lane, Shavington, said the raid on her home had left her angry.

"They also stole my jewellery and my collection of Doulton figures but the distressing part was losing the watch," she said.

"I would just like it back. It's a very old watch so I wouldn't have said it would be of great value. The rest can be replaced.

"I feel so invaded. You learn from these things and although our house was fully secured, we are now going to batten down the hatches. They are not going to get in again."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.