A MOTHER is distraught after the theft of every photograph she has of her baby boy.

Karen Stephenson had gathered together hundreds of pictures of her five-month-old son, Oliver, to put in an album.

She was going to make up two albums as Mother's Day gifts for her own mother and her mother-in-law. Mrs Stephenson, 38, dropped her son off with her sister outside the Tracy Chipperfield hair salon in Conniscliffe Road, Darlington, last Thursday afternoon as she was on her way to the photographers.

But while she was distracted, a thief jumped into her car and sped off, taking the pictures with him.

A tearful Mrs Stephenson, who lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire, said: "I'm upset about the car, but the photographs are something I'll never be able to replace.

"They are a record of my son's whole life, literally every photograph he's ever had taken from the hospital, the christening and at Christmas. I can't replace those. I had all the negatives with them as well because I was going to pick and choose the best ones."

The Range Rover, registration number S96 LPY, was stolen from Conniscliffe Road at about 3.40pm last Thursday.

The photographs were in a navy Jules B carrier bag and Mrs Stephenson is willing to pay a reward for information leading to their return and conviction of the thief.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Darlington police on (01325) 467681.