A family is desperate to be reunited with sentimental items which were taken to a charity shop by mistake and have now been sold.

David Lambourne and his wife were having a clear out ahead of a move from Rochester to Maidstone.

But a box of belongings was taken to the Oxfam charity shop in Rochester High Street by mistake.

Among the missing items is a crystal decanter and bowl that were given to David's father Gordon when he retied after 40 years of being the organist at St Lawrence Church in Seal Chart, Sevenoaks.

The couple are also missing two crystal photo frames, one of which was given to them as a wedding present 18 years ago.

David said: "We were preparing to move house in October last year which involved many trips to the tip and at least three trips to the Oxfam shop in Rochester High Street.

"We had been packing boxes ready to move and putting what we no longer wanted into boxes ready to take to the charity shop.

"Somehow one of the boxes we had packed with the sentimental items must have got mixed up with the charity pile.

"We had realised that we had not seen these items when we unpacked but having so many boxes to go through, we just presumed that they were in boxes waiting to be unpacked in the garage.

"It was only just after the new year that we eventually managed to check all the unpacked boxes and there was no sign of these sentimental items.

"Then discussing with my wife we decided that they must have been taken to the charity shop by mistake. There is just no other option."

The couple have been in contact with Oxfam and told the items would have been sorted and then gone on display in the shop as soon as they were donated but staff were unable to help further.

The family have made an appeal on social media for the items to be returned.

Daughter Kate posted on Facebook: "In October my dad took loads of stuff to the Oxfam in Rochester. By mistake it included a box of sentimental things. He’s asked in Oxfam and they confirmed they have been sold already.

"So really this is just a plea to anyone that may have bought a glass decanter, or a crystal frame in Oxfam recently would they be willing to sell it back to us. They meant so much and he’s devastated.

David added: "Hopefully someone reading will remember buying such items and we may be able to get them back."

The crystal decanter is about 25cm high in a silver bowl shaped stand. The stand was engraved, with words about Gordon. The two crystal photo frames are about 20cm by 30cm and contained wedding photos but these were likely to have been taken out of the frames before they went on display.

If you think you may have the items David is looking for, contact the newsroom on 01634 227803 or email medway@thekmgroup.co.uk