Veteran cries after late fiancé's stolen engagement ring returned with mysterious note

A veteran has been reunited with his late fiancee's stolen engagement ring after it was returned with a mysterious apology note.

Falklands vet, Darren Horsnell, 62, was devastated when he returned from a trip to find his home broken into and the sentimental piece of jewellery missing in September. He pleaded with the thief on social media to return the ring which had been kept next to the ashes of his late partner, Tracey Vick.

The burglary had been made even more distressing by the fact it fell on the fourth anniversary of Tracey's death. But in an extraordinary twist, the ring was dropped off with a handwritten note which simply read "Darren sorry" at a veterans charity where he volunteers.

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Darren, of Haslingden Lancs, told the : “It was posted through the charity’s letterbox. The chap that picked it up thought it was a donation cheque.

"When the admin girl opened it her face was a picture, I kept saying ‘what is it’ and when I saw it I just fell to bits. I couldn’t help but cry. He added: "I feel ecstatic to have the ring back with me.”

The burglar also stole a solid gold charm bracelet that had belonged to Tracey, an iPad, a chess set and £2,500 in cash that Darren had withdrawn to loan to his son. In his original plea to the thief, Darren wrote: "Here is a message to the person responsible. Keep all the other items, bring back the ring and that will be the end of it as far as I am concerned."

Earlier this month the ring was returned to the Veterans In Communities charity hub where Darren helps other vets recover through arts. Now he suspects it was someone he knows that targeted him, after realising he had made a Facebook post about going on a fishing trip - unwittingly publicising the fact his home was unprotected.

Cops are now scanning the mysterious note for finger prints and believe the thief penned it with their non-dominant hand to throw Darren off the scent. Although his faith in humanity has been restored Darren added: “It's a disgusting thing to do, and the more I think about it the more I suspect it was someone I know.”

Darren and Tracey had enjoyed a love story for the ages, having met at primary school where they became childhood sweethearts in their home city of London. After Darren enlisted, they lost touch for years until the power of social media reconnected them in 2001.

They rekindled their young love and were set to be married when Darren stunned her with a shock proposal at his 50th birthday in 2012. He popped the question with a diamond and amethyst engagement ring that Tracey had been eying up in a local jewellers.

But in the Covid pandemic Tracey was diagnosed with an aggressive unknown primary cancer - meaning doctors could not find the source. She passed away aged 56 in September 2020.

Darren said: “Social media brought us back together and now it has brought Tracey’s ring back to me”. On his Facebook page Darren said: "My faith in human kindness was shattered until thousands of you shared a plea, went above and beyond what was expected, put the word about despite not knowing me.

“However, I still cannot believe I have the greatest of pleasure in letting you all know the ring was returned. There are no words that I can think of to say how honoured and overwhelmed I was that so many helped in securing the return of Tracey Vick’s engagement ring. Thank you is not enough."