A veteran paratrooper has been left heartbroken by the remembrance day theft of his beloved red beret.

Cyril Bayliss believes his iconic cap was taken from a city centre pub after he had been to a tribute service.

The 82-year-old said he was in the Ambassador pub with friends after paying their respects to the fallen.

He said he went to make a phone call, left the beret on a table and when he got back it was gone.

A friend said ‘a line has been crossed’.

“There is an unwritten rule. You don’t disrespect veterans,” said Denise Mitchell.

“Cyril is putting on a brave face but he is heartbroken.”

Cyril, who lives in Shipley, was back in the Ambassador yesterday hoping the beret might have been handed in, but there was no such luck.

“As soon as I saw it had gone I asked at the bar, but it hadn’t been handed in,” he said.

“I have had this beret for about 30 years. But that’s how things are. I just very much want it back.”

Cyril served in the Paras for several years, including a stint of National Service.

He later rejoined the regiment on attachment at Thornbury and has also served in the Territorial Army.

In his working life, he was in the post room at City Hall.

He said he didn’t blame the pub, where he is a regular.

“If it hasn’t been handed in, what can they do?” he said.

Denise, though, was more angry.

“This is disgusting,” she said.

“Cyril is a brilliant bloke with a heart of gold.”

She has put the loss out on social media and says she has already had many shares.

“Cyril said a group of young people were near the table where he left the beret and that they might have seen it and taken it as a joke,” said Denise, who works at the Travellers Rest in Shipley where Cyril often calls.

“Hopefully, they simply haven’t realised what they have done. Just haven’t thought. He says it doesn’t matter but I know he is heartbroken. It matters because there are lines you just do not cross.

“He just wants it back. You can’t replace something like this. It is disgusting. He is trying not to show he is upset.”

Cyril, who has not reported the incident to police, is appealing for the return of the beret and asks anyone who might have it to return it to the Ambassador or tell the pub if they have any information.

Pub manager Kelly Calvert and another colleague were on shift for most of the day.

Mrs Calvert said: “We helped him try find it, but we couldn’t.

“I’m not sure if he had it in here or another pub.”

The red beret is a military beret worn by many military police, commando, and police forces. The term is also used to refer to the British Parachute Regiment, although members wear the maroon beret.