Billy Ruston’s father, Brian, died in May 2004.

The Financial service ombudsman officer, of Dale Fields, Gravesend, kept his dad’s memory alive by using his father’s fishing rod on the anniversary of his death and birthday.

He will longer be able to do that after thieves broke into a garage at a property in Riverview Road, Greenhithe, days before he moved, and stole around a thousand pounds' worth of fishing gear and a bike.

The 31-year-old’s rod was worth nothing and only had sentimental value.

After discovering it missing on Friday, February 16, when he was preparing to go on a fishing trip for his birthday the next day, he contemplated giving up the hobby altogether.

The burglary could have happened between Friday, January 19, and Friday, February 16, as he had not been in the garage during that period.

Mr Ruston’s colleague and close friend of four and a half years, Gareth Brown, was with him when he discovered the gear had gone missing.

Soon after Mr Brown set up a Just Giving page to raise funds to replace the equipment because, according to him, Mr Ruston cannot afford to replace the gear after moving house and having to prepare for the arrival of his second child.

Mr Ruston said: “I was devastated, really devastated.

“I was really strange, I looked about the garage and I didn’t believe it had happened.
“What was really upsetting was my dad’s rod.

“I got really choked up about that. It was a budget rod. It wasn’t anything special, it was just his rod he used and passed it on to me when he passed away.

“I just wanted to carry on his memories.

“I can always replace the equipment eventually but it is that one rod that I want back because of its sentimental value.”

“I didn’t know Gareth was going to set up the Just Giving page, it popped up on Facebook.

“When I saw that I had to leave the room, I got overwhelmed. You don’t expect to be on the receiving end of such generosity.”

To donate money towards replacing Mr Ruston’s fishing gear visit the JustGiving page.

Anyone with information about the incident or those involved has been asked to call the Police on 01474 366149 quoting reference XY/009227/18.