It is a scrap of paper which signalled the end of war and has been a precious family heirloom for nearly a century.

But a prized historical artefact has been pilfered by burglars who broke into a house in Edgeley, Stockport .

The morse code message was sent to Allied soldiers on November 11 1918, telling them the First World War was over.

An original transcript of the wire was among the most prized belongings of Private John Smith, a signalman with the 12th battalion of the London Regiment and was taken from the home of his granddaughter, Suzie Smith.

The signal reads: “Hostilities cease 1100 today. Troops will stand fast on the outpost line already established. All military precautions will be observed and there will be no communication with the enemy. Further instructions later. Acknowledge”.”

Proud granddaughter Suzie said her family were devastated by the loss, adding:“It’s a deeply precious morse-code signal transcription, taken in the presence of my grandfather, announcing the end of the ‘Great’ War on 11.11.18.

“My Paternal grandfather survived the war but later died of lung-damage caused by gas attacks during the war.

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“The morse code transcript was one of only two mementos I had of my dad, Tony Smith, who died of oesophageal cancer when I was 15 in 1996. It’s worth very little cash because it’s in poor condition, but to me it’s emotionally irreplaceable. They also took my grandfather’s two war medals.

“A wedding ring and engagement ring that belonged to my grandmother, Audrey Pinn, were also stolen. I had planned to use them for my own wedding in August.

“I was taken aback by how deeply the theft affected me. A friend comforted me with the notion that lost loved ones are in your heart, not in things, which is a good point, but I feel like I’ve let my family down anyway.

"I thought I was keeping the objects because they reminded me of my dad, but now they’ve been taken I realise I also felt like a custodian, and that I’d been keeping them for the whole family’s sake. I was especially proud of the signal, and am disappointed in myself for not protecting it.

“I lost Dad when I was a teenager, and - along with an old 35mm Olympus camera that was also taken - these objects were the most significant things I had to remember him by.

“My maternal grandparents’ relationship was the strongest foundation in my life after I lost Dad, which is why I was going to use their rings to seal my own marriage, so I’m very sad that I can no longer do this.

“The silver lining has been the kindness everyone’s shown about it all - friends spreading the word on Facebook, Stockport’s vintage shops promising to keep an eye out, neighbours being sweet, the PCSO saying hi in the street to make sure I’m ok, the MEN offering to help - I’m very grateful for that.”