A SPECIAL 'letterbox' placed on Dartmoor by a Tavistock youngster to celebrate his tenth birthday and in memory of a family friend has been stolen.
Tom Hammond designed his own personal football stamp and put it in the letterbox on Cox Tor three weeks ago to form part of the moorland letterbox trail which has become a popular hobby with walkers over the last 20 years.
His mother Sue said the letterbox was not only to commemorate her son's special birthday but to remember Rupert Westall, a former headmaster at Kelly College, who died several years ago. His ashes were scattered over Cox Tor.
Mr Westall's daughter Pam travelled up from Falmouth to join the Hammond family to place the box which contained a photograph of Tom.
'It had only been out three weeks and the letterbox has been stolen already,' said Mrs Hammond. 'It's really hurtful.'
She appealed to the thief to return the plastic box which contained a book, pen, Tom's photograph, his Football Crazy stamp and a mini bar of chocolate for 'the first person who found it'.
'If you don't want to return the stamp, just put the book back,' said Mrs Hammond. 'No one will see you.
'How anyone could take it in the first place is beyond me. Letter boxing is a local tradition here on Dartmoor — at least respect the boxes that are put out plus the time and expense of it all. Please put it back.'
Mrs Hammond, a moorland guide herself, said her family had been letterboxing for years.
'We respect the moor and have always put the boxes back exactly where we find them. It's fun for the kids and Tom can't understand why anyone would want to take his.
'He wants to put another box on Cox Tor but I don't think there is any point now.'
l Letterboxing began in 1864 when Dartmoor guide John Perrot placed a sweet jar in a peat bank at Cranmere Pool. There are now over 100 letterboxes dotted all over Dartmoor.