An architecture student is appealling for the person who stole his laptop to return the hard drive containing a year’s work, including assignments that must be handed in by the end of the month.

“You can keep the computer, the case, mouse, charger and USB. I have a lot of work on the hard disk. It’s the only thing I want back,” Sergio de Gabriele, 19, wrote on Facebook, urging friends to share his appeal.

The teenager’s laptop was stolen on Tuesday outside the Victor Tedesco stadium in Ħamrun, while he was training for rugby.

“I’m posting this status in case the person who broke into my car and stole my laptop feels a sense of pity towards me,” he added, listing his phone number and email.

“You can contact me anonymously and I promise I won’t tell the police.”

The laptop is an HP Compaq 6720s and was hidden under a seat in the white 1986 Mini Mayfair.

“The person probably broke the window for something else but then noticed the laptop bag and snatched that. I backed up all my work in the pen drive but it was stolen with the bag,” Mr de Gabriele told The Times. He can be contacted on 79331119 or sdegab@hotmail.com.