Story highlights
One of two Olympic medals stolen from a London nightclub has been recovered
Hannah Macleod's bronze medal was mailed anonymously to England Hockey
The medals were taken early Wednesday following a royal reception
The athletes had left the medals in the pockets of their unattended jackets
An Olympic bronze medal stolen from a London nightclub earlier this week has been reunited with its owner.
A spokesman for the London Metropolitan police said a medal belonging to the British field hockey player Hannah Macleod had been mailed anonymously to the offices of England Hockey on Friday. The player had appealed via her Twitter account for the medal to be returned in this manner.
A bronze medal belonging to fellow British Olympian Alex Partridge, a rower, remains missing.
“We are still looking to recover the second medal, and we stress that our inquiries remain active,” said Detective Chief Inspector James Harman.
“Alex’s medal has yet to be traced, and he is understandably keen to be reunited with it as soon as possible.”
The medals were taken after Partridge, 31, and Macleod, 28, left their blazers, with the medals inside, unattended as they danced in the upmarket Mahiki nightclub, following a reception with Britain’s queen for London 2012 athletes at Buckingham Palace.
On Thursday, following an appeal from the athletes via their Twitter accounts, Partridge’s jacket was handed in at a London police station, without his medal. A man was subsequently arrested, before being bailed to return in November pending further inquiries.
Both athletes tweeted images taken from the club’s security footage of a man present that night. The image has been retweeted thousands of times.
Macleod had earlier tweeted that she was “totally devastated” by the loss. Partridge tweeted a request to “keep your eyes open all over London,” and thanked the public for its support.
Partridge won his bronze as a member of the men’s eight rowing team, and won silver in the same event at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Macleod received hers as a member of the women’s field hockey team.
Harman said police wanted to hear from anyone with information on the thefts. “Our appeals for information stand and I take this opportunity to reiterate them – if the public can help, we ask them to do so.”
