THE family of a York bar tender who drowned in the River Ouse five years ago is distraught after a plaque in his memory disappeared.

Abbi Horrocks discovered that the memorial plaque had gone when she went early yesterday to lay flowers to mark the fifth anniversary of her brother Richard's death.

The plaque was attached to a balcony overlooking the river near the Revolution bar, from which Richard, 21, jumped at the end of his last shift at the bar on July 24, 2011. He tried to swim across the river, but got into difficulties and drowned.

York Press:

Abbi's mother Vicki said Abbi called her at 7.15am yesterday to say the plaque had gone. "She was broken-hearted," she said.

"We just don't know what has happened to it. We don't know whether it's gone in the last few days or months ago.

"We don't know if its been taken for its scrap metal value or, bearing in mind that it's the fifth anniversary, it's personal in some way."

She said it was also possible someone had taken it away to repair it but no one had informed the family they were doing this.

Richard was the third person to die in York’s rivers in a few months and his death triggered The Press’s Think Don't Swim' campaign, which aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of falling or jumping into the Ouse and the Foss.

The plaque, funded by Revolution, was intended to serve as a warning to others as well as a memorial to Richard's life.

It carried the campaign logo and his picture, and read: “In memory of Richard Anthony James Horrocks. On July 24, 2011, Richard thought he could swim across the river. On August 1, 2011, his devastated parents and sister attended his funeral.”

Abbi, now 23 and living in Holgate, said she went down to the balcony very early yesterday to lay the flowers while it was quiet and peaceful, as she did on the anniversary every year.

"I am always a bit worried that someone might have defaced the plaque but when I saw it had gone I was very shocked and upset."

A Revolution spokesman said staff there were unaware what had happened to the plaque.

Abbi urged anyone who knew what had happened to the plaque to contact The Press by emailing mike.laycock@thepress.co.uk, or calling 01904 567132.