Family at war with museum over WWII veteran's rare George Medal - after it was wrongly donated to the attraction who will not return it

A couple are locked in a battle with a museum which is refusing to return a rare George Medal after it was wrongly donated.

George Scott, 76, was supposed to inherit the prestigious accolade awarded to his grandfather James Annis Scott after his heroic actions saved multiple lives when a café was bombed in the Second World War.

But instead the medal was given to South Shields Museum & Art Gallery in South Tyneside, by George's uncle Colin, who had borrowed it, and has since died.

Retired garage door business owner George fought to get the precious heirloom back but became too unwell with Parkinson's disease and now lives in a care home.

His wife Lynne took over the battle and has paid over £300 on solicitors' fees in a bid to get the medal back but fears the family have hit a dead end.

George Scott (pictured) and his wife have been locked in a battle with a museum which is refusing to return a rare George Medal after it was wrongly donated

George (pictured) was supposed to inherit the prestigious accolade awarded to his grandfather James Annis Scott

But instead the medal was given to South Shields Museum & Art Gallery (pictured) in South Tyneside, by George's uncle Colin

Former company manager Lynne, 71, said: 'The medal was presented to my husband George's grandfather and when he died it was to go to his oldest son - who was George's father.

'But he died very young at 56 and his younger brother Colin then borrowed it to take it on holiday to show some relatives.

'We never got the medal back and the next thing we knew was that Colin had donated the medal to South Shields museum but he didn't have permission to do so.

'George found out the museum had the medal so he went down a while ago and asked if they could show him it but they couldn't find it.

'They eventually found it and George asked if he could have it back as they didn't have it on display but they said no because it was donated by Colin.

'They said Colin had signed a paper to say it could be donated and unless we had something written in a will to say it belongs to my husband then the museum would keep it.'

George Medals were handed out to civilians for special acts of bravery in the 20th century and were awarded for a wide range of non-military acts.

Mr Scott was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive his plaque which read: 'This medal was awarded to air raid warden James Scott for his outstanding bravery when South Shields was bombed on 2 October 1941.

A newspaper cutting from 1941 after George's grandfather James Annis Scott who saved multiple lives when a café was bombed in the Second World War

James Scott pictured with his family at Buckingham Palace after receiving his St George medal

'A local cafe was destroyed and he acted as a 'human pillar' to enable survivors be rescued from the wreckage.'

Lynne says her husband is desperate for the medal back so it can stay in the family and be passed down to his 17-year-old grandson Noah.

She added: 'The museum said Colin had signed a paper which said he was the legal owner but he wasn't, and he died a couple of years ago.

'My husband is the oldest son of the oldest son so he's entitled to it.

'His grandfather had to go to Buckingham Palace to receive the medal so it's very special.

'It is worth money but we're not interested in that.

'George wants to give something to his grandson because his dad, my stepson, also has Parkinson's and isn't well.

'I got the solicitors involved and they wrote a nice letter to the museum asking for it to be handed back but they said no as it belongs to the people of South Shields.

'The solicitors said we could take it further but would mean it would need to go to court.

'George often asks about it from his care home and he has never given up.'

A letter written to the museum by Lynne's solicitors letter asking for the medal to be handed back to George

A spokesperson for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums said: 'We accepted this donation to the Museum in 1994 in good faith from the son of the person who was awarded the medal and still hold the original documentation recording the donation.

'When we receive gifts into the museum, we rely on the good faith of the person making the donation that they have the right to make the gift and would need proof evidencing otherwise before we could return a donation.

'It is on display in South Shields Museum & Art Gallery so the people of South Tyneside can learn about the heroism of the individual, and tells a story of an important moment in the Borough's history.'