An 80-year-old woman has spoken of her joy after a dog walker found one of her stolen medals in a Dundee woodland.
Evelyn Hood, a former president of the Dundee-Orléans Twinning Association, had loaned a collection of around eight medallions to Dundee and Angus College for an exhibition in September 2016.
The hugely sentimental medals celebrate Dundee’s relationship with its French twin city, as well as Mrs Hood’s own personal connections to Orléans.
However, thief Ronald McKay stole the lot, along with thousands of pounds, from the college’s Gardyne campus. He refused to assist police in searching for the medals.
At the time, Mrs Hood said the medals had no financial value and pleaded for their return.
Mrs Hood has now been reunited with one of the medals, which was presented to her in 1996 when she was made an honorary citizen of the French city.
“It was to me the most important of the medallions,” she said.
“Getting that particular one, which was given to me on that occasion, was quite something.
“I was telephoned on Monday morning by one of the detectives working on the job. Someone had been walking their dog in Douglas on an area of spare ground by Asda and Arbroath Road.
“The dog took off after a fox and as he caught up he found a red box and there was the medallion, the loss of which really was most hurtful.
“It was presented when I was made an honorary citizen of Orléans. Luckily it had my name engraved on it so the police knew it was mine.
“The detective brought it out to me on Monday.
“Five or six are still missing. I’d appeal to dog walkers or walkers along the shore to keep an eye out.”
She added: “The man who stole them had told police he had thrown them into the Tay, but he may have been lying as this was not found there.
“I am just most grateful to the police. They searched the area for quite some time and searched the shore.
“They have been really wonderful.”
Mrs Hood has been involved in the Dundee-Orléans Twinning Association for 65 years and helped arrange the first school exchanges between the two cities, which celebrated the 70th anniversary of their formal twinning last year.
Thief McKay was ordered to help police recover the stolen medals from the River Tay, but was jailed for four years after refusing to help.
