Vital Cancer Research Stolen In Burglary

Police in Southampton are appealing for information after the home of a surgical trainee was broken into and computers with four years’ worth of cancer research on them were stolen.

Sometime between 7.30am and 5.30pm on Monday, March 19, burglars broke into the house in Chilworth close, Chilworth and searched the house stealing various items.
 
Among them were four laptop computers.. One of them a Dell Latitude E5500 contained four years worth of cancer research Dr Bashar Zeidan had been working on. Although the research was backed up on external hard drives these have also been stolen.
 
Dr Zeidan, a surgical trainee at the University of Southampton, is in the process of finishing his PhD in cancer research. His research aims to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage to ensure a better outcome for the patient.

Officers are now appealing for any information about the whereabouts of the computers or who stole them. They are particularly keen to trace the Dell computer because of its important contents and are also appealing directly to the burglars to hand it back as the information on it is being used to help advance cancer research which could eventually save or prolong the life of thousands of peoples.
 
Dr Zeidan said: “This is my entire research career.. Losing this is like losing my whole life. The loss of the physical computers is not as bad as the loss of the information – the information is priceless. This research is incredibly important; not just important to me, but to medical research.”  

Anyone with information about the crime or who knows where the computers may be is asked to call PC Rob Forbes at Eastleigh CID on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.