Schoolboy writes letter to thief

Inspired by the the maxim that ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’, young William O’Brien is seeking justice through a very unusual message.

The youngster hopes a letter penned to the thief who stole his trundle truck from outside his home will shame them into returning it - along with its contents that he was collecting for a charity project at Christmas.

William and his mother composed the note in a bid to shame whoever removed the truck that was filled with glass jars he had been gathering.

The youngster had spent more than a month doing odd jobs to save up £60 to pay for the truck which he used to help his dad Keith in the garden and collect water. He also used it to pick up the glass from his neighbours to use as lanterns in a Christmas parade.

Mum Sam, 39, said: “He was so angry when it was taken, he felt he needed to write a letter to whoever stole it and asked me to tell everyone what had happened.”

William and his mother wrote the letter which they addressed to “our local thief” together, and have left it outside their home in Pontefract in the hope that they can prick the conscience of the person who took the truck on Wednesday.

The letter states: “To our local thief. We just wanted to thank you for stealing our little boy’s trundle truck! He saved up for six weeks by doing jobs for his family!

“HE IS REALLY REALLY UPSET!!!

“Also those glass jars you took were donated by our kind neighbours. We are now unable to use them in our charity project and over 100 children will miss out!”

In the heartfelt note, Sam even offered to buy a trundle truck for the crook.

“Next time you have urgent requirement for a kid’s trundle truck (I know this is radical) try saving up!? If my seven-year-old can so can you! If you can’t, knock on my door and I will give you the cash!” she wrote.

Mrs O’Brien said: “We haven’t reported it to the police but we’re hoping the person who did it sees the letter and realises exactly the effect something so small has had.”

She added her son had been using his truck all summer – at music festivals where he collected water in it, helping his dad while they worked in the garden, and even leaving surplus fruit and vegetables outside their home for neighbours to help themselves to.

“It was taken from the side of the house, full of glass jars. William had been around all the neighbours asking them for the jars for a charity project we are working on in North Yorkshire with more than 100 children, to make glass lanterns for a Christmas parade.

“We only have two weeks to collect all those jars again as well.”