CURLING star Rhona Martin is to appear on Crimewatch to appeal for the return of her stolen Olympic gold medal.
The triumphant skipper of Great Britain's Salt Lake City Winter Games team was left devastated when thieves snatched the medal while it was on display in Dumfries.
It had been part of an exhibition of curling memorabilia at Dumfries Museum when robbers targeted the facility, making off with a haul worth £34,000.
The athlete, who has reverted to her maiden name of Howie since her divorce, has filmed an emotional appeal for the BBC programme. It will be shown as part of the Crimewatch Roadshow next week.
Miss Howie, 47, from Ayr, said she was devastated she could no longer tour schools with the medal.
She said: "I believed it was part of Scotland, not just mine. I thought all the visits to schools would be worthwhile if it inspired one child to try to make a dream come true.
"Now that is the one thing I do not have. I am devastated. It was hand-finished, irreplaceable. The children loved wearing it, got a huge thrill from it."
The curler and her teammates won in 2002, defeating Sweden and Germany for their place on the podium.
She has also launched an online appeal on her Facebook page for the return of her medal and the other stolen items.
Also taken from the museum was another Scottish Olympic gold, won in 1924 by father and son Willie and Laurence Jackson, the skipper and lead of the victorious men's curling team. Other curling club medals were also stolen.
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