A HOLIDAYMAKER is offering a £200 reward for the safe return of his stolen computer hard drives.

Vince Fenson, of Paris, France, was visiting family in Bower Hinton, near Martock, when his car was broken into and his black IBM Lenovo laptop taken, along with two hard drives containing "valuable" information relating to his work.

Mr Fenson, originally from England, is deputy head of corporate planning at Saint-Gobain – a company which makes and sells construction materials. He says the data on the internal storage devices is important to his business but would be meaningless to anyone else.

Mr Fenson, 42, said: "The hard drives have got information on them which has been built up over several years and we are keen to get them back. I am not too worried about the laptop, but I want the hard drives back."

The theft happened on his first day in the country on Friday, August 20, as he attended a family reunion with his wife and children.

He said his silver seven-seater Seat Alhambra, with French number plates, was parked outside the Hollies Hotel in Bower Hinton when thieves smashed the tinted windows and took the items, which were under shopping bags.

Five vials of insulin were also taken. Police are keen to speak to someone who they believe was in the area at the time.

Beat manager PC Toni Lines said: "There is a possible witness who we need to come forward to help us with our inquiries, which are ongoing. There have been a few isolated incidents in Bower Hinton recently, but there is no need for residents to be frightened."

Anyone with any information can contact PC Lines on 08454 567000 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.