A UNIVERSITY student will face the possibility of failure after her all her thesis research was stolen from her car in Chester.
Joanna Richardson, aged 22, of Stockport, had four DVDs of video research, vital notes for her thesis and her laptop stolen from her car which was parked at Linenhall car park, Trinity Street in Chester last Tuesday.
She is now appealing for everyone to keep their eyes open for the research which could have been dumped.
Joanna spent five weeks in Virginia collecting research for her marine biology masters which included notes and video research.
The Bangor University student was on her way home, travelling from Manchester Airport, when she stopped in Chester to do some shopping with her boyfriend.
Joanna said: “In the boot of my car I had my suitcase then underneath that I had my laptop case with all my work in.”
Joanna spent 45 minutes in Chester city centre before she returned to her car to find one of the doors slightly open. Joanna and her boyfriend looked in the back of the car and didn’t think anything was missing.
She said: “It was only when I got back home to Bangor I realised the laptop had gone, and I discovered what had happened. It must have been in Chester because that is the only place I left the car.
“I also have central locking on my car and so I know it was locked.”
She added: “The notes contained all my raw research in note form, luckily I did have some of it on a pen drive, but it means if I have made a mistake there is no way to check the data.
“The DVDs contain five weeks of film which document my research and are vital to completing my thesis, they are in bright yellow cases and are easy to recognise.
“My tutor says he will put a note on my thesis explaining the missing data, but in all probability I will not get the marks I deserve because I do not have that data.
“I am just a complete mess, I can’t believe this has happened. I am not bothered about my laptop, I just need my research.”
Anyone with information should call the police on 0845 458 0000.
