The daughter of a former speedway star is distraught after her father's treasured bikes and rare racing jackets were stolen from his home.
Two bikes worth about £3,000 each, between 15 and 20 jackets worth hundreds of pounds, racing leathers and a helmet belonging to Tony Childs, who died two years ago, were taken from his old North Walsham bungalow.
The property on Lynsey Drive is going through the probate process and the 500cc bikes - a Westlake from the 1970s and a GM vehicle from the 1990s - were kept securely in the garage. All the jackets and racing leathers were in a bedroom.
Mr Childs daughter, Lynsey, 32, from Coltishall, discovered the theft after spotting the garage door was unlocked.
The property landlord, who has two young children, said: 'I couldn't believe it when I found out the garage was unlocked and the bikes and other items had gone. I'm gutted. I would have kept them. He was offered £200 for each jacket but he didn't sell them because that was how much they meant to him.'
She added her father, who rode with many clubs during his career, would have been 'furious' about the theft.
Miss Childs said the speedway items had sentimental value and meant a lot to her because they were part of her dad's life.
Her father, who died aged 71 from a pulmonary embolism, was born in Felmingham, near North Walsham.
During the 1950s and 1960s he used to ride on the Great Yarmouth speedway track and was part of the club between 1959-1960.
He subsequently rode for teams in Wimbledon, Crayford, Wolverhampton and West Ham.
But he made a name for himself at the Hull Vikings, which folded in 2005, where he was captain between 1971 and 1974.
One of the stolen jackets was from his Hull Vikings captain era.
Matt Nicholson, 32, Hull Vikings memorabilia collector from Hull, described the jacket was rare.
He said: 'If someone has got the items, they mean more to Tony's family.'
After Hull, Mr Childs rode for Scunthorpe, Newport and Workington, before retiring in the 1980s. He led practice sessions at the King's Lynn Stars speedway venue in the mid 1990s.
Norfolk police believe the crime happened between 5pm on May 19 and 4.30pm the following day.
Witnesses should contact North Walsham Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101.
Have you experienced the theft of a sentimental family item? Email sophie.wyllie@archant.co.uk
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