A grieving couple are urging thieves to return precious photos of their tragic son.

A laptop computer, stolen from Graham and Nancy Wood’s Bradford home, contained thousands of irreplaceable images of their son Gary, 31, who died suddenly in March last year.

Mr Wood, 56, and his 53-year-old dental nurse wife, were asleep upstairs at their home in Felcourt Drive, Holme Wood, when raiders struck.

Mr Wood, a warehouse operative, came downstairs just after 6am on Tuesday to find objects strewn around the floor and the back door open.

The TV had been stolen from the living room and the laptop was missing from the kitchen.

Mr Wood said: “We had thousands of photos of Gary stored on the laptop, from him being a toddler right up to us going to a wedding shortly before his death. The images documented his life.

“It would have been Gary’s birthday last Saturday, so it is an awful blow to lose these images at this time.

“The thieves also took our car and house keys, which had photos of Gary on the key fobs.”

Distraught Mr Wood said Gary was “my best friend”.

He added: “He was a wonderfully generous person, he would give you his last penny. He would do anything for anybody.

“He helped me out so many times. I would pick up the phone and he would be there for me.

“The death of Gary was a terrible loss to us. We have got our memories of him, but it was a comfort to be able to click on to a screen and see him there.

“All we want is the computer back. They can keep everything else. Just hand it in to someone, or leave it on our doorstep, and that will be the end of the matter.”

PCSO Dan Cordwell, of the Tong and Wyke Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The family is understandably devastated by the fact they have lost these personal memories.

“We have visited electrical trade stores to ensure the perpetrators have not attempted to sell these items and also undertaken house-to-house inquiries.

“Members of the public may have been approached by the individuals behind this, in a bid to sell the stolen property.

“I am calling on anyone who has information about this burglary, or the whereabouts of the stolen equipment, to get in touch immediately.

“This has had a particularly emotional impact on the victims and we need the help of the community to identify those responsible.

“If you can assist us, please call the non-emergency number 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”