A HEARTBROKEN widow has launched an urgent appeal after she lost a treasured brooch given to her by her late husband during her first outing without him.

Grace Dursley, 83, lost the brooch on Saturday as she was walking along Preston Road towards Gould’s Garden Centre.

The brooch, which looks like a blue and silver sword, was given to her more than 25 years ago by her late husband Christopher Dursley.

As reported in the Echo, Mr Dursley died on Sunday, October 10 when he was involved in a collision with a motorcyclist on the Preston Beach Road, as he was crossing the road.

Mrs Dursley’s walk to the garden centre was the first time she had left the house since her husband’s death, and she decided to wear the brooch as a tribute to her late husband.

She has now launched an urgent appeal to find the brooch and offered a £50 reward as she desperately tries to find it.

The sword, which has a silver handle and a gold hilt, is in a blue sheath and is approximately three inches long.

It was bought by her late husband as a memento from his time in the Royal Navy.

Sue Usborne, Mr and Mrs Dursley’s daughter, said losing the brooch had left her mother inconsolable.

She said: “It was something that my dad bought for her as a memento from his time in the Navy, it was a gift to her one Christmas.

“It was the first time she had left the house since the incident, and was walking towards the garden centre.

“It’s probably only worth a few hundred pounds and she could easily replace it with another one, but it’s worth a lot to her in terms of sentimental value, it’s priceless.

“She doesn’t want to get a new one, and losing it has devastated her.

“She just really wants it back.”

Mrs Dursley was too upset to talk to the Echo about losing her brooch, but following her husband’s sudden death, she paid a touching tribute to him, saying: “Chris was wonderful. We had a very long and happy marriage.”

Mrs Usborne said the family had desperately been trying to find the brooch since it was lost.

She added: “We have retraced the steps a couple of times, and can’t find it.

“She is very upset about it. She is feeling very numb anyway after what happened and now this is.

“She’s devastated.

“It’s quite a little thing but it’s just another thing that you don’t need at a time like this.”

If you have found the missing brooch, please contact the Dorset Echo and we can put you in touch with the family.