Widow reunited with teddy bear from late husband after it was stolen from train

Linda Lawson, had returned from a trip to Cologne, when she boarded the LNER service from London Kings Cross to Darlington. When the train arrived at Doncaster, Linda glanced over to check on her case and saw it was still there. But moments later, when the guard blew the whistle, she glanced again and it had gone.

Linda was devastated at the thought of losing her suitcase, which had a teddy bear inside which was gifted to her by her late husband, so she ran off the train. Officers searched both platforms with no sign of the thief but checked CCTV and saw someone had taken the case into a waiting room before boarding a train to Sheffield.

British Transport Police officers then arrested the suspect at Sheffield Train Station, retrieved the case and Linda was reunited with her bear.

Linda, of Darlington, said: "The thought of losing the bear my husband gave me was too much. I am so grateful he's back home with me. My late husband always told me to keep an eye on my belongings so I think he probably prompted me to take a look. Thankfully I did and realised that in just seconds my case had gone."

Mustafa Mouni, 32, pleaded guilty to theft and was handed an 18-week sentence, suspended for 12 months, at Sheffield Magistrates' Court in May. Mouni, of Sheffield, was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154 and costs of £85.

Linda has thanked the officers who helped her, including PC Rob Simpson who gave the case to her the following day.

She said: "I cannot thank PC Simpson enough. I couldn't have asked for more from British Transport Police and all the rail staff at the station. They comforted me, put me on a train home and reassured me they had my case with everything inside and would personally reunite me with it."

PC Simpson has also said that because Linda's suitcase was 'very distinctive', he was able to identify it when he spotted Mouni with it.

He said: "It was thanks in no small part to Mrs Lawson constantly keeping her eye on her luggage that we were able to act immediately when she reported it stolen. This and the fact that her case was very distinctive and had a ribbon threaded through the handle there was no mistaking that it was her property when we spotted the suspect with the case.”