A MOTHER is appealing for help returning her heroic son's army dog tag after it was lost whilst she was shopping more than a week ago.

Captain David Hicks was posthumously awarded the Military Cross for exemplary gallantry, when he exposed himself to gunfire to identify enemy positions when the Taliban attacked his base near Sangin town.

Captain Hicks, 26, was killed in Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2010. He was acting as company commander of the C (Essex) Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

His mother, Lesley, turned his dog tag into a necklace she wore to commemorate her son. She said the necklace wasn't worth a lot of money but has a lot of sentimental value.

She said: "Although the pendant has little intrinsic value as a piece of jewellery it is of great sentimental value to me. 

"I lost in in the Lidl [on Molly Millars Lane] around 10am on Tuesday, September 22. The chain was handed in but not the pendant.

"They clean the store on a Wednesday evening but it still hasn't been found."

The pendant has a blue stone inserted into the hole where David's chain ran. The pendant is encased in a silver coloured filigree.

Mrs. Hicks said she had reported the loss to the police. She is offering a reward to anyone that can return the necklace.

If you can help return the necklace contact police on 101.