A WOMAN has spoken of her disgust that her mother’s expensive necklace went missing while she was being cared for in hospital.

Mandy Jenkins bought the “beautiful” £275 gold and diamond cross necklace for Pauline Palmer to celebrate her 76th birthday.

Her mother was being treated at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and just one day after receiving the gift it disappeared from her mother’s neck.

The hospital says it was sorry the necklace had gone missing and steps were taken to look for the missing present.

Mrs Jenkins, 53, a coach driver from Highcliffe, said: “Everyone on the ward knew it was Mum’s birthday there were cards and balloons around her bed and the necklace was the talk of the ward.

“The staff on the ward said patients were not allowed valuables on the ward and asked me to sign a form.

“I was quite happy to do it because there was no way she was going to take it off.

“But when I went in the next day it had gone.

“When I complained about it the staff there gave the impression they couldn’t give a toss.

“They said things went missing all the time and there was nothing they could do about it.”

Mrs Jenkins said her mother is now being cared for in a home.

She reported the incident, which happened on June 8, to Dorset Police and a spokesman from the force asked for witnesses to call them on 101.

A spokesperson for The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are sorry to hear that an item of jewellery belonging to one of our patients has gone missing and that this has caused distress.

“We would like to reassure the family that we have taken a number of steps to locate the item. We do advise all patients and their relatives not to bring any unnecessary items or items of value on to our wards.”