A "HEARTBROKEN" woman is appealing for help tracking down a cuddly toy giraffe that went missing in Minehead — the toy has huge sentimental value as it was her late mother's.

Dianne Bassett believes she left the giraffe in one of The Old Ship Aground's bedrooms in Minehead on Saturday, May 26. But despite several "thorough searches" conducted by the hotel, there's no sign of it.

She said: "It was a cuddly giraffe toy that I gave to my mum just before she died. For the last seven years I have slept with it and am absolutely heartbroken.

"I know I left it in our room on the morning of May 26 when we checked out [of The Old Ship Aground]. It must have been under the duvet cover."

Dianne Basset and her mother. (Image: Dianne Bassett)

Dianne posted her appeal to the Minehead Chit Chat Facebook page where a "lovely lady" who launders all of the washing from the pub "checked all of the bags of washing just in case it got mixed up with the bedding".

The manager at The Old Ship Aground said: "It's terrible to lose something with such sentimental value and I fully understand the emotion attached to it.

"We have searched high and low, and we've done everything we can to try and locate the giraffe, but there is no sign of it unfortunately.

"We contacted the laundry to make sure it wasn't scooped up in some of the bedding, and sadly it wasn't there. We've searched again and again and again, especially because of the emotional attachment in this case, but sadly it's not been found I'm afraid."

Dianne is certain that her giraffe will be found in the local vicinity, and is appealing for people to "please, please help me get this part of my darling mum back to me."

Please email milly.vincent@newsquest.co.uk with any news.