Edna Child holding one of the gold meals that was stolen from her home

Thieves steal gold medals belonging to Romford’s 1948 Olympian, Edna Child, 90

Lee-Ann Richards, Reporter Thursday, February 14, 2013
9:00 AM

A 1948 Olympian says that she is “shocked and angry” after her two gold medals were stolen during a break-in at her home.

Edna Child, 90 is appealing for the return of her medals, which she was awarded in the 1950 British Empire Games after they were taken during a burglary at her home in Romford on Monday February 11.

She said: “I am still trying to get my head around what happened.

“I haven’t gotten over the shock and I am just so angry.”

The grandmother of five was targeted as she went out to run errands from 3.40pm to 7.45pm.

She says that she was alerted when she returned home and found a light on and her home had been ransacked.

When she went upstairs, she discovered that her two gold medals had been taken from a wooden box that had been specially made for them.

The thieves also made off with a laptop and jewellery.

Gill Goodchild, Edna’s daughter said: “The people that did this are just despicable to pray on someone that is old and in a vulnerable position.

“No one knew when she was going to be back and she could have easily distrubed them and then no one knows what would have happened.”

Edna was a member of the Plaistow United Swimming Club when she came sixth in spring board diving at the 1948 Olympic Games.

Two years later, Edna won two gold medals in the 3m springboard diving and 10m platform in the British Empire Games held in New Zealand.

She started swimming for the first time when she was just 12 after being diagnosed with a condition called Empyaemia, which meant that most of her childhood was spent undergoing operations.

Edna had been planning to pass the medals on to her daughters.

Gill said: “She is so proud of her achievements, which are massive and it is all she talks about.

“She just wants them back, it is not something that we can go to Debenhams and replace, they mean a lot to her.”

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Ian Willett said: “This is a deplorable crime involving an elderly victim who has lost a unique record of her sporting achievements.”

Anyone with information should call Romford CID on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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