Cruel burglars stole love notes penned by a late husband to his wife in a home break-in in Arbourthorne, and a ring containing his ashes.

Jill Holmes, who lives on Park Range Drive on the Cutlers View estate, was burgled while on holiday with a friend on February 9. T

The thieves stole house keys, purses and sentimental jewellery from home, including a box full of love notes her husband had left her.

Karl Holmes, known as Simon, passed away in 2019, after a battle with lung cancer.

Mrs Holmes said: “He worked away Monday to Friday, they were like the tags you get in antique shops, the little cardboard ones with a string, so he used to write on these notes and then leave them somewhere so that I would find them while he was gone, so I collected them all up into a box

“He had about a million pet names for me, so they said things like: you’re my seahorse, you’re my small brown loaf”

The estate had a string of four other burglaries, her house being the final target, jewellery taken from every one, including a ring from Mrs Holmes which held the ashes of her husband.

She said: “I think in their minds, they think, it doesn’t matter, we can afford it, but it really does matter, there was a ring from my 18th birthday, my mums rings, my engagement ring, things I could never replace, no matter if I go and buy the exact same thing, they’re not the same.”

Cutlers View estate has offered an immense amount of support to Mrs Holmes following the break-in. She described her neighbours as a ‘really strong community’,

She added: “So many people came round to check if I was alright, people have offered to give me a bed for the night if I didn’t want to sleep there, people I didn’t even know, if I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in my house on my own.”

After the burglary, Mrs Holmes managed to find the box of notes in Norfolk Heritage Park herself, discarded near the children’s playground.

A police spokesperson has said: “At 7.28pm on Monday 9 February we received a report of a residential burglary at Park Grange Drive, Sheffield. It is reported that three unknown suspects broke into a property and stole items from inside.

“Officers attended and carried out house to house enquiries and CCTV checks, in addition to providing crime reduction advice. Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to get in touch online or by calling 101, quoting incident number 878 of 9 February 2026.”