Life-saving research stolen from surgeon

A Bristol surgeon is appealing for the return of his stolen laptop as it contains research that could be potentially life-saving.

Plastic surgery registrar at Frenchay Hospital, Tom Chapman, had his laptop and car stolen after a break-in at his accommodation on the site, while he was in theatre.

He said that the computer, which is four years old, is worthless to anyone else, but contains years' of work looking at the factors involved in the spread of skin cancer.

Mr Chapman, 35, was in surgery on Tuesday afternoon between when burglars broke into his locked room.

They took his laptop, a briefcase and stole his blue Volvo estate car.

Mr Chapman, who has been working at Frenchay and living on site for a year, believes that his computer may have been abandoned with his vehicle and is asking for people to look out for the car.

He said: "I am appealing for the return of my laptop as the research I have on it has no value to anybody else but may potentially valuable to patients in the future.

"It has no value at all. It was in a briefcase which is old and has a broken handle, there is no real value and someone would struggle to sell it.

"And that is the shame, it is of very little use and the car is a 10-year-old Volvo, but the research is important to me."

Mr Chapman's research work looks at melanoma and the factors involved in the movement of cells, which cause them to spread from the outside layers of the skin to the liver and kidneys where they become life-threatening.

The laptop does not contain information that would prove useful to people who find it and there are no patient details on it but is important for his research project.

He said that much of his work has been backed up, but some has not been and it will take time to collate it all together.

"To other people it is just research data with pictures of cells", he said.

Richard Cottle, spokesman for North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Frenchay Hospital, said: "We are taking this extremely seriously and have significantly stepped up security patrols in the area.

"The doors to this particular area of accommodation had good, secure, standard domestic locks but we have now changed these to double locks which offer even more security.

"The trust security team is working alongside police officers in their investigations.

"We would ask staff living in hospital accommodation to be vigilant at all times."

Mr Chapman's blue Volvo estate car has the registration V245 MOH and he would ask anyone with information to contact the police.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that a laptop, MP3 player, camera and car had been stolen. They said that no arrests had been made and said the car had not yet been recovered.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.