SIR —I would like to send a message to the heartless thief who stole my purse from a shop in Friday Street on Wednesday September 16.

I wonder if this woman realises what upset and inconvenience she has caused.

Luckily there was only a small amount of cash in the purse, but it was everything else that has upset me so much - two memory cards from my camera, my driving licence (which has cost me £20 to replace), credit and debit cards which I blocked immediately, various other sundry cards, and my medic alert card which I carry with me at all times and am presently having trouble replacing.

The most upsetting thing for me is that I also had many pictures of my grandsons, including one of the one who passed away at only four days old.

The lady concerned should be ashamed of herself. She has denied to the police that she stole the purse and has called the only witness a liar.

I realise she may have needed the money but does that make it OK to steal someone else’s property?

And why could she not have just left the purse somewhere it could be found by an honest person and handed in to the police? After all, apart from the cash and camera cards, there was nothing of any value to her but it meant a lot to me.

Alison Williams

(Address supplied).