A YOUNG woman today revealed the stress of a break-in at her Oswaldtwistle home caused her to lose her baby.

Tracy Millward returned after a day out to find the house in Union Road turned upside down and property missing, including cherished family heirlooms.

A few hours later she said she collapsed with stomach pains and suffered a miscarriage. She says she had no idea she was pregnant but says her GP told her she had been carrying the baby for four to six weeks.

She is now appealing to the burglars to return two pieces of jewellery which are particularly precious to her - a 19th century brooch which belonged to her great great great grandmother and gold bracelet which her mother received on her 12th birthday and passed to her.

Tracy, 22, who lives with fiance Andrew Sage, also 22, said: "We've been trying for a baby for a few months, but the shock of all this has caused me to lose it. We are both devastated.

"We came home and the place had just been trashed. It's just so malicious. I've not been able to even go upstairs since it happened because they've been through all of my stuff."

The couple were due to get married next year but they have now decided to postpone their wedding plans until 2005.

She said: "We can't think about planning a wedding with all this going on."

The two items of jewellery are an oval amethyst brooch which has a piped gold pattern on the outside and a 22-carat Singapore bracelet with black enamel and oriental motifs.

Tracy, a retail manager in Blackpool, said: "They mean so much to me. They can keep the other things but I dearly want to get these back."

The couple say they also had electrical goods were taken along with 1,500 CDs and 400 DVDs. Both Tracy and Andrew, an IT manager, are keen music and film fans.

Tracy said: "Andrew has been collecting DVDs since they came out and we both have collected CDs since 1990. But we can replace those. What really matters is the jewellery."

One of the CDs, is an album signed by Manchester band the Stone Roses.

DC Scott McDonough of Accrington Police said they were still investigating the burglary, which happened between 2pm and 9.30pm on Sunday, June 22.

He said anyone with information should phone Accrington police on 01254 382141 or Crimestoppers 0800 555111.