POLICE are trying to reunite owners with an ʻAladdinʼs Caveʼ of recovered stolen property worth £150,000.
A brass bird, war medals and 121 silver spoons are part of the 250-item haul, most of which is made up of antiques and collecatbles. Police believe much of the haul belongs to people in Burton and South Derbyshire.
The possessions — which also incude porecelain, dolls and ornaments — were recovered from three homes in Derby, in 2007, and on October 18 and 23 this year.
Officers found them during searches for a burglary suspect and the execution of a warrant to look for stolen goods.
All of the items are now being stored at the St Mary’s Wharf Police Station, in Prime Park Way, Derby.
PC Kevin Cassidy, of Derbyshire Police’s Derby division burglary unit, said: “It’s like an Aladdin’s Cave of antiques.
“We’ve recovered a substantial amount of sentimental items which are no doubt worth more in memories than in financial value.
“If I had lost possessions like this, for example war medals, I’d be gutted.” The officer and his colleagues have identified the owners of half of the haul, 12 of whom live in Derby and 13 in Hertfordshire.
The goods reunited with owners in Derby and Hertfordshire are worth £30,000 and £40,000 respectively.
But the burglary unit now wants to return the rest of the goods to their rightful owners and have organised a series of public viewings to this end.
They will be held at St Mary’s Wharf Police Station from 6pm to 9pm on Tuesday, 2pm to 6pm on Wednesday, and 9am to 2pm on Thursday.
PC Cassidy appealed for anyone from East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire who was burgled between November 29, 2005, and November 29, 2007, or September 19 to October 22 this year, to turn up.
He said this could not only help reunite them with their valuables but help police with their enquiries.
Officers already have a suspect, who is in his 30s and from Manchester, and has been charged with another offence.
PC Cassidy, who is based at the Cotton Lane Police Station, said that if the possessions — which also include carriage clocks, books dating back to the First World War, figurines and silver plates — were not reunited with their owners, they would be auctioned.
The proceeds would compensate victims of the burglaries who still had property outstanding, and any balance would be held under the Proceeds of Crime Act.