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A devastated mum spoke of her heartbreak after thieves broke into her Merseyside home and stole her late son’s jewellery and treasured handwritten letters and notes.

Adele Hardman’s son Christopher died 10 years ago just weeks before his 16th birthday after a brave battle with cancer.

But last week, just days after the family had marked the 10th anniversary of his death, she came home from a night away with her partner Mike to find thieves had broken in through the back door and ransacked her Wallasey home.

Adele today appealed for the thieves to return the items, as she told how she has been left feeling like she had lost the last part of her beloved son.

The devastated 53-year-old said: “It would have been bad enough at any time, but in the same week as the anniversary of his death and what would have been his 26th birthday is heartbreaking, it just brings it all back.

“I just can’t believe it – it’s like losing the last part of him.

“I could get the items out whenever I was upset or thinking about Chris, read the letters and the notes. But I can’t now because they’ve gone.

“It’s also the stress on my mum, she’s heartbroken, it’s her grandson. I just want them back.”

Christopher, a talented young magician who was a member of the Magic Circle was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma after doctors found a tumour in his left leg in 2002 aged 13.

His leg was amputated above the knee and he went through eight months of chemotherapy, but sadly the cancer returned in his pelvis and lungs and he passed away on October 25, 2004.

After his death his family set up the Christopher Hardman Osteosarcoma Research Fund in his name to raise money for research into the rare bone disease.

More than 100 people turned out to celebrate his life on the 10th anniversary of his death at New Brighton Cricket Club last month.

But days later his mother was left devastated after thieves used a spade to break into her home on Fieldway, Wallasey, at some point overnight on October 31 into the early hours Saturday November 1, making off with more than £3,000 of jewellery, a laptop and cash.

Among the irreplaceable items taken were a gold pendant with a picture of Christopher on the front and a 9ct custom-made gold necklace with a pendant depicting four playing cards made specially for him by his girlfriend Kayla.

An inscription on the back reads “To Chris, you are my shining star, Love Forever, Kayla x”.

There was also a solid silver pill box with an Orient Express logo in a velvet pouch that Christopher gave to his mother, and letters and notes he wrote to her while he was alive.

Since the break-in Adele said she has been round to pawn shops in the area to let them know what to look out for, while friends and family have also been sharing the appeal on social media.

She said: “Christopher did a lot in his life and was very talented with his magic. His magic teacher told me he thought Chris was going to go on to be a star.

“Someone will know who did this.

“The thieves will know what stuff belonged to my son. They will know when they read those notes, they will know that someone has passed away.

“I know I won’t get the other stuff back, but it would be lovely for someone to just have a conscience and hand it in to a police station.”

Detective Paul Parry from Wirral CID said: “The thieves will probably not have been aware of what they stole as they took all the jewellery boxes. But they will now have had time to go through everything and realise that they’ve taken some items of huge sentimentality.

“I’d like to appeal to their conscience and put themselves in Adele’s position and think about how they’d feel if this happened to them. All we’re asking is for them to do the right thing and find a way to get them back to their rightful owner.”

Anyone who has any information is asked to call 0151 777 2262 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.