A COUPLE have made a heartfelt plea for the return of irreplaceable footage of their baby son taking his first steps after thieves stole a video camera containing the tape.

Forty-something parents Sue and Dave Crook returned to their home in Sycamore Terrace, Bootham, to find that thieves had broken a bolt on the back gate, forced a kitchen window with a screwdriver and escaped with the camera and tape.

The Sony digital video camera is worth about £800 but the couple are more concerned about getting back the precious moments captured on the tape of their 18-month-old son, Christopher.

The tot is the family's only grandchild and his parents had been taping his progress and sending regular updates to his grandparents in Suffolk and Wigan.

Mrs Crook said: "The last three month's worth of our son's development were on the tape. He came to us very late in our lives - we are in our 40s - and his grandparents are in their 70s and can't get over to see him that often, so we have been videotaping him and sending tapes to them in the post.

"The tape shows him walking for the first time and that is something that can't be replaced.

"We would like to appeal to anyone who has the tape or who has found it dumped anywhere to please return it to us.

"They could just pop it in the post or telephone us to let us know where it is. We would be very grateful to get it back."

The couple have scoured the area around their home to see if the thieves discarded the tape as they escaped, but have so far found nothing.

The tape is about 3in by 2in by half-an-inch with a white piece of card around it.

Anyone who has the tape can send it back to Mr and Mrs Crook at 18 Sycamore Terrace, York, YO30 7DN, or phone them on 01904 652387.

Updated: 11:40 Wednesday, January 30, 2002