A holidaymaker is offering a reward for the safe return of her £12,000 Cartier wristwatch after it mysteriously went missing in Dartmouth.

The 49-year-old woman had been staying at an exclusive riverside holiday home near Sandquay Road, Dartmouth, when the gold watch disappeared. She is now offering a reward of £1,000 for its safe return, police have revealed.

The woman, who works as a human resources manager for a London company, was staying at the home overlooking the River Dart until April 2.

She believes she placed the watch in a drawer in the home before leaving to return to London.

She did not miss the watch until April 10 when she asked the property managers to check on it and was told it was not there.

The watch was a present to the woman from her grandfather, who has since died, and is of great sentimental value.

There was no sign of any break-in at the property and despite a search of the flat the watch could not be found.

A police spokesman: 'We don't think it was a burglary because there was no sign of any forced entry.

'She may have lost the watch in the town or in the property.'

He added: 'We would wish to here from anyone who may have been offered the watch or come across it in some way.

'There is a £1,000 reward for its safe return.'

The missing watch is described a Cartier woman's wrist watch with a square face with a white background and black hands and comes with a white gold strap.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the watch is asked to contract the police at Dartmouth.