Distraught widow Rudee How was yesterday reunited with irreplaceable family photos and jewellery which had gone missing when her handbag was stolen on Tuesday night.
The bag was apparently robbed and then thrown into the sea at West Park but two purses containing the pictures and gold bracelets were found on the beach and handed in to Police Headquarters.
£2,000 in cash – the takings from her Thai restaurant – was missing but for Mrs How the money was never the most important thing – the pictures of her with late husband Allan and jewellery he had given her were all she cared about and now she has them back.
The purses containing them were covered in sand but the pictures were in perfect condition.
The hero of the hour is Public Services manual worker Steve Brennan who was out walking his dog on the beach at West Park when he came across the purses.
Another, anonymous man, had found the empty handbag and handed it in.
‘I handed them in and then later I saw the JEP story about Mrs How and I put two and two together,’ said Mr Brennan.
‘I am really made up to have helped her – it’s made my Christmas!’
