A heartbroken couple are appealing for thieves to return a tree used at their wedding back to their front garden “no questions asked”.

A cherry blossom tree in full bloom was stolen from Russell Davis’s front garden in Shalford Road, Rayne, some time last Wednesday after he noticed it was missing a day later.

Mr Davis, branch manager at Allen Estates in Newland Street, wants the tree returned because it has huge sentimental value to him and his wife, Kim, after they bought it for their wedding as a memorial to late relatives who could not celebrate with them.

The tree was bought alongside a birch and an apple tree to serve as “memory trees”.

He said: “That tree holds a huge sentimental value for both my wife and I as it was used at our wedding last year as a memory tree to hang photos of our loved ones that couldn’t be there with us on our special day including both my wife’s father and my late father."

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.