A mother wept after a mobile phone with her last text messages from her musician son was burgled as she prepared for the second anniversary of his death.

Rosie Barnard said she was hurt and angry yesterday as she told how thieves stole her handbag which also contained her favourite photos of her son Jamie.

Popular Mr Barnard died suddenly aged 34 on December 22, 2006, after taking a cocktail of drink and drugs on a night out.

He had been well known as a member of local bands The Tinlids and Northern Lights.

Mrs Barnard said: "I just want these people to realise what they have done. This time of year is hard enough for me as it is but they have just made it so much worse."

She said burglars had forced their way through her back door early on Thursday morning. They stole the bag from the kitchen where she had laid it out ready to go to work.

It contained a small amount of cash and some gift vouchers as well as Mrs Barnard's treasured mementos of her son.

She said: "And for what? There was barely anything of any use to them in that bag but it meant everything to me."

Mrs Barnard, from Hollingdean in Brighton, said Christmas would be extremely difficult for her. She urged whoever had taken the bag to return it.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said the burglary was being investigated along with two others which took place in the same area during the same night.

Mystery surrounded Mr Barnard's death because of the combination of alcohol, prescription drugs and heroin found in his body.

He was not known as a drinker and there was no trace of heroin in his flat. His friends said they had never known him to use the drug.

His death shocked the Brighton and Hove rock music community in which he had been heavily involved.

More than 400 people packed into a memorial service for the former pupil of Blatchington Mill School, in Hove, a month after he died.

The police said anyone with information about the burglary at Mrs Barnard's house should call 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.