UK COMPUTER STOLEN CONTAINING VITAL INFORMATION OF NURSES CANCER RESEARCH GROUP this is leicestershire - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and carsBY BEN FARMER

10:30 - 18 May 2004
Thieves have left a woman devastated after they stole a computer containing vital information about an international nursing conference.
Liz Peim, 29, fears e-mails, addresses and contacts are lost forever.

The burglars struck on Saturday afternoon, smashing through the back door of her house in Cecilia Road, Clarendon Park, Leicester.

She works for a firm organising a five-day conference for the International Society of Nurses and Cancer Carers, due to be held in Sydney, Australia, in August.

The conference will allow more than 1,000 cancer nurses worldwide to share knowledge and learn the latest medical advances.

As well as lectures and seminars, pharmaceutical companies will showcase the latest cancer-fighting drugs.

Nurses from Leicester Royal Infirmary will be attending the event, meeting colleagues from countries including India and Thailand.

With the valuable files gone, Ms Peim now faces a summer trying to retype documents and get in contact with delegates.

She said: "I have been in shock ever since it happened and it is only just beginning to sink in - the magnitude of what I have to do. It's awful.

"Attendees are from all around the world and the only way I can contact them is by e-mail. Now I don't have contact details for them.

"I have been working on it for 18 months and I have lost everything - e-mails, contacts, the majority of it is gone.

"I have from now until August to try to key in all the stuff I have on paper. I'm not going to see any of the summer."

The thieves also took jewellery, a mobile phone and a plasma screen monitor together worth over £3,000.

Ms Peim said: "I don't care about the property, it's the information.

"It wasn't a massive burglary. They left a lot of stuff, but they took something which was irreplaceable to me."

A police spokeswoman said: "We are investigating a burglary at a house in Cecilia Road. The burglary took place some time between 3.55pm and 8.30pm on Saturday.

"Officers are keen to hear from anyone who is offered items like those stolen in unusual circumstances."

Anyone with information can contact Pc Paul Faithfull, at Welford Road police station, on 0116 222 2222