A father is “desperately upset” after his daughter’s laptop was stolen from their home in Canonbury on the eve of her big presentation.

Steve Barnett's home was burgled by an "opportunistic thief" when his wife popped out for a few minutes at about 4pm on Sunday.

Three Apple MacBook laptops, money and credit cards were stolen.

The professor of communications at the University of Westminster told the Gazette: "Like anyone who's been burgled, you feel traumatised.

"Obviously, it could always be worse. Nobody was hurt. Nobody was injured, which is always the main thing - but it's just the feeling of violation.

"The thing we are desperately upset about is my daughter's computer. She has a big presentation on it."

Steve wouldn't give his daughter name or age because "she's upset about the whole thing".

But he said she was due to give an important business talk on Monday, and her notes were on one of the stolen computers.

Within minutes of the family realising they'd been burgled, Steve started getting notifications that someone was using his card.

He followed the trail to Ocean Wine, in Essex Road, where someone had purchased four bottles of liquor and cigarettes.

The next transaction was about 10 minutes later at North London Wine Cellar in Newington Green.

Steve went down to Ocean Wines, where he said staff were "brilliant" and helped him look through the CCTV.

They have released a CCTV image of a man who was in the shop around the same time, who Steve believes may have information about the incident.

The Met Police have confirmed the house are burgled and the investigation is ongoing.

Steve said the thief must have been noticeable, "staggering around under the weight of three laptops" and litres of liquor in Essex Road, before heading to Newington Green where they used the card for further transactions.

He added: "I would say to anyone who [encounters the thief], be careful. [They] have found a way of escaping detection, so basically if you see [them] you need to contact the police, and obviously lock up any valuables."

Anyone with information can call police on 101 quoting 5161 of October 5.