The grandson of a World War 1 soldier is thrilled to get back his grandfather's war medals which disappeared up to 20 years ago.
The medals were found in a stolen Subaru, driven by a career criminal, after a police chase in Auckland last year, the New Zealand Herald reported.
They were engraved with "Gunner Percy James McCabe".
Mr McCabe's grandson Paul Hitchfield was reunited with the medals last night and said he was delighted to have them back.
Police could not give the medals back to the soldier's family until after the court case.
It remained a mystery how the medals turned up in the Subaru.
Mr Hitchfield said he did not know how the medals became lost.
They may have disappeared during moving or been taken in an unnoticed burglary.
His grandfather returned from the war in good health, but died from a heart attack in 1971, aged 80.
Mr Hitchfield was then 13 and was now his grandfather's next surviving relative.
A spokeswoman at the Waiouru Army Museum said the two medals were known as the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, which were awarded to most soldiers in World War 1.
