Hugh Grant offers £1,000 reward for veteran's lost war medals
Movie star Hugh Grant has offered a £1,000 reward for the safe return of a war hero's lost medals.
Charity Blind Veterans UK recently put out an appeal to help find Second World War medals belonging to Alfred Barlow, aged 95, after they were lost at Norton Canes Services on the M6 Toll.
Mr Barlow was returning home from a pilgrimage to Normandy, France, where he fought on the beaches more than 70 years ago.
His wife and grandson noticed that his four medals were missing after he visited the gents’ toilets on June 8.
His grandson immediately retraced their steps, asked at all shops and the designated lost property depot in the services but they were nowhere to be seen.
The four medals lost are the 1939-1945 Star, the France & Germany Star, the 1939-1945 War Medal and the Palestine Medal.
Mr Barlow, who turns 96 on June 25, served with 3rd Reconnaissance (Recce) Regiment, 3rd Division, and landed on Sword Beach at 10am on D-Day, June 6 1944.
Following the appeal Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral star Hugh Grant, who recently visited the service station as part of a brief tour of the Cannock area with election candidate Paul Dadge, has now offered up a reward for their safe return on Twitter.
A post on his @HackedOffHugh page linking to a news story on the medals read: "£1000 reward for their safe return.
"Contact sara@sarawoodhatch.com.
"Anonymity guaranteed."
Meanwhile, bosses at the service station have said they are working to try and find the lost medals.
A spokesperson from Roadchef said: “Since we were informed that Mr Barlow could have lost his medals at Norton Canes, we have been working with our lost property partner - Lostbox - to try and and reunite him with them.
"Through social media and other outlets, we hope to reach as many people as possible across the country who may have found his medals along the route from Normandy to Stockport.
"We hope that Mr Barlow is reunited with his medals soon."
