A couple have made an emotional plea for the return of a camera containing pictures of the last party a dying man will attend.

Geoff Bailey took hundreds of photos of his brother Spencer enjoying himself at the Gas Club in Bromley Road, Colchester, on Friday night.

Friends had organised the celebration in honour of the 46-year-old, of Monkwick, who is terminally ill and expected to die in the next few weeks.

Geoff and his partner Maria Locke took the digital camera with them when they caught a taxi home from the event at about 12.30am.

But, in the morning, they realised they had forgotten to pick it up off the floor of the 24 Seven cab.

A call to the firm proved fruitless and the pair have now reported the equipment stolen.

Ms Locke said: "We are hoping maybe somebody was drunk, took it without thinking and then threw it away, or thought better of it in the morning."

More in today's Evening Gazette

Published Thursday, December 23, 2004

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette