Holyhead police hunt for owners of 'stolen' Victorian books

A stash of 19th Century books found during a search of a house in Anglesey may have been stolen, police say.

Officers found "potentially rare" copies of the Bible, Alice in Wonderland and other titles in a suitcase in a home in Holyhead.

Some were dedicated to a Mary Elizabeth Taylor and North Wales Police wants to reunite them with the owners' family.

The items were a "bonus" discovery made by officers searching the property as part of a separate investigation.

A police spokesman said it could not comment on the ongoing probe, but added: "It was a search warrant - but we weren't looking for books."

Some of the books contain handwritten notes dated between 1892 and 1894.

"It's certainly unusual that such old and potentially rare books are seized," the spokesman said.

"As some of the books are personalised, we would dearly like to re-unite them with their owners - or more likely their descendants, as there will doubtless be emotional ties."

The haul also contained a pearl necklace in a case, marked "Seibido.Co - Ikutasuji Kobe".

Officers believe the items could have been taken "from anywhere between Merseyside and north Wales".

However, they cannot be sure whether thieves planned to steal the items or picked them up by chance.

Some of the hardbacks addressed to Ms Taylor appear to have been penned by an E. Sawyer. Another has "David Cooke 1889" written inside the cover.

Anyone who recognises the items is urged to contact the force.