Two years' worth of university notes including assignments and testimonials have been stolen from a car in Great Yarmouth.

Nursing student Lourdes Roberts discovered the theft on Sunday morning just two months before she is due to qualify.

The 20-year-old who lives on Marine Parade and works at North Walsham hospital said the papers amounting to thousands of words and signatures evidencing her work and achievements would be of no use to anyone else and hopes the bag has been dumped nearby.

She said she went to the car to retrieve her Race for Life number ahead of the challenge that day and that it took her a few moments to realise it was gone.

Now she faces a mad rush to try and amass enough to pass the course and qualify.

"The university and the hospital have been really supportive," she said. "So it should not amount to an automatic fail as long as I can collect some of the papers again. I love my job and it is all I want to do.

"It was pretty much everything I didn't want to lose.

"I now have to start all over again. I need all this to qualify and now there is no evidence I have done the hard work.

"I wish something that was actually valuable was taken. It is also sentimental because it is a record of how hard I have worked."

Among the papers were assignments, numerous hand-written references from professionals who have watched her work, and proof of her learning, training and progress.

She said the unremarkable black holdall was tucked in the footwell and not visible.

She said she had "come to terms" with it not being found but still held out a glimmer of hope, and is asking people to keep an eye out in the area behind The Empire where her car was parked.

"The thought of all that hard work by the side of the road or in a bin is killing me," she added.

"There is nothing of use, it is just paper work so fingers crossed it is found before the bins are taken out."

The theft has been reported to the police.

Anyone who finds the bag is asked to email lourdesroberts@hotmail.com.