Help heartbroken schoolgirl find 'irreplaceable' locket containing dad's ashes

Eleven-year-old Lexie Hurst has been carrying the precious engraved locket holding the ashes of her dad Andrew Hurst – who died suddenly in March from sepsis – since the first day of school.

The St Augustines pupil – who has Type One diabetes and has a pump fitted – kept it in her blazer pocket since her first day in September. But after suffering a 'hypo' on Friday night in the car park of Lidl in Blackbrook, it is nowhere to be seen.

Her mum Nicola Teeling, from Haydock, is appealing for anyone with any information about the "irreplaceable" locket to get in touch with information.

The 38-year-old mum-of-three said: "Andrew died in March aged just 47 and since then the kids have had a tough time because is was just so sudden.

"We got these lockets with their dad's ashes in that were kept near a candle at home, but Lexie wanted her dad to be with her on the first day of school like he should have been and since then it has lived in her blazer – it was comforting for her.

"But on Friday she was walking to her nan's after going in Lidl with her brother Kian and she started having a hypo.

"He pulled her blood kit out of her blazer pocket to help her and we think that's when it came out – but she was hot and sweaty after so carried her blazer as well.

"She didn't realise until later and she is just heartbroken and devastated."

After going back to Lidl and searching the route that Kian and Lexie took, Nicola took to Facebook to ask for help.

Her post has been shared more than 1,294 times – but the locket - measuring just a couple of centemeters across - has not yet been found.

Nicola added: "The response I've had to the post has been amazing but I am hoping that the more people know about it then hopefully we can find it.

"Lexie is just so upset since this happened and it's irreplaceable – as her mum I can't fix it so I'm asking people to help me if they can.

"Our eyes are hurting for looking for it we've been everywhere."