A WORRIED mother protested yesterday after her birth certificate was lost - along with her 20- year-old son's - after they were sent to a passport office.

Pamela Hoyle posted the documents to the Durham office when her student son, Christopher, applied for his first passport.

A courier delivered the passport to their home, at Park House Farm, in Marwood, near Barnard Castle, but the birth certificates were missing.

Mrs Hoyle telephoned the office before being told that another courier had been sent to deliver them.

But when the farmhouse was described to him, it was found the courier had not been there.

Mrs Hoyle said: "It seems he somehow got mixed up and put them through the wrong letterbox.

The passport office has admitted liability and sent me two copies of the certificates. But copies are not accepted in some places, so I want to trace the originals.

"If our birth certificates get into the wrong hands, they could possibly be used in some sort of crime, so it's essential to find them."

Christopher, a history student in his final year at York University, had to include both certificates with his passport application.

Mrs Hoyle has checked other properties with similar names in the area, and has asked estate agents to check any empty homes on their books.

She also appealed to anyone who might have the certificates to get in touch.

A spokesman from the Home Office said: "While the loss of a birth certificate doesn't put an individual at increased risk of identification fraud, we do recognise the value of these documents.

"We take every care with them and we are sorry that this has occurred.

"As the information provided on birth certificates is a matter of public record, the loss of a birth certificate should not pose identity fraud threat."

If you have any information about the certificates, call Mrs Hoyle on 01833-631731.