A mother has called for tighter security measures at Gatwick Airport after her video camera was taken from the lost property office.

Louise Lydon-James left her camcorder on board a plane after returning from a holiday in Canada.

She was distraught when she realised the film inside was footage spanning the life of her ten-month-old son Toby from the time he was born until their recent holiday abroad.

When she called the baggage hall lost-property office at Gatwick she was delighted to hear the camcorder had been handed on to Aviance baggage handlers.

However, when Ms Lydon-James called Aviance, she was told the camcorder had been claimed two days earlier by someone else.

Ms Lydon-James, a restaurant manager, from Southdown Road, Portslade, said: "I was so upset. The film is of Toby from one day old - his first smile, his first steps, his first laugh.

"I was so excited to find it had been handed in. My boyfriend and I were dancing round the house because we never thought we'd get it back.

"To have someone else claim the camcorder is very frustrating."

Ms Lydon-James, who was on an Air Transat flight from Toronto to Gatwick on July 18 with her boyfriend, Chris Gardener, and their baby, is angry that more stringent checks weren't made by Aviance.

She said: "The lost property report said which flight the camcorder had come from.

"However, the woman I spoke to said people claiming items did not have to show tickets to prove which flight they were on or give the model of the item, they just had to give the make.

"Later when I spoke to a manager, he said people had to show three forms of identification but it seems this isn't enforced. I think there should be stricter checks.

An Aviance spokesman said: "We are looking into the matter. If this case highlights the need to change our procedures, we will be happy to do so."

Ms Lydon-James said: "The whole experience has been upsetting and frustrating but the bottom line is, I don't care about the camcorder. Whoever has it can keep it. I'm appealing for the film."

Ms James can be emailed at lou_lj@yahoo.co.uk