By Charles Randall

26 October 2012

There has always been a special link between club cricket and hockey, a game invented to enable outfields to be utilised during winter months before the advent of all-weather pitches. So the Club Cricket Conference is joining the national media in appealing for help to track down Hannah Macleod's stolen Olympic bronze medal.

Police have been investigating thefts from a Mayfair nightclub in London where the Great Britain women's hockey team were socialising with other Olympians after attending a reception at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. Hannah's handbag, blazer and medal were among several items stolen along with a bronze medal belonging to the rower Alex Partridge. These medals had the event engraved on the back but not the name of the recipient, so in due course they might be offered for sale on auction sites.

 Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Media enquiries should be directed to Lawrence West, the GB Hockey communications manager, on 01628 897509 or his email address lawrence.west@gbhockey.org.

Hannah said she was "absolutely gutted" at the theft. "Winning it in August was an incredible highlight for me and for this to have happened is simply shattering. While it means everything to me it has no value to anyone else and I just hope that whoever took it can hand it in or leave it somewhere that means I can get it back. I just want it back."

She added: "I would like to thank everyone – my friends and family, the media and the general public – for their overwhelming support of me and Alex Partridge. The response has been incredible."