A war veteran who lost his medals while preparing to sell poppies from a supermarket is appealing for their return.

Michael McGeouch, from Dartford, faces attending this year’s Remembrance parade without decoration after he lost them in Asda Greenhithe yesterday morning.

The 70-year-old only realised he had lost his Northern Ireland General Service Medal and his TA Territorial Efficiency Award and bar after he walked across the car park in Crossways Boulevard.

Fighting back tears, he told KentOnline: “I was devastated as soon as I realised.

“I wore them with great pride and it would mean the world to me for them to be returned.”

Michael, who attends a Remembrance parade every year and has been to the Cenotaph war memorial in London twice, believes they must have fallen out of his breast pocket as he walked from his car with the jacket slung over his arm just before 9am.

He has trawled the car park since and searched his vehicle twice but the medals have not been traced.

Michael, who is ex Royal Military Police and Royal Engineers, was presented with his awards after twice serving in Northern Ireland during the Troubles between 1972 and 1975.

This included time working as a tracker dog handler searching for bombs.

The veteran left the service in 1977 having spent two years training on how to work with dogs. He joined the TA in 1979 and was presented with his long service medal after 19 years.

He still sells poppies to raise money for the Royal British Legion.

“Once you’re bitten by the bug it never leaves you,” he said.

Ex-light infantry Darren Riley runs the Asda poppy appeal and has been selling poppies alongside Michael this week.

He understands his comrade’s feelings after he once mislaid his treasured medals.

“It was my own fault but I was absolutely distraught. I felt sick.”

If anyone finds the medals Michael is asking if they could be taken to the customer service desk at the supermarket who will make sure they are safely returned.