Truly stirring act by repentant thief who took cream whipper

Father and daughter Graham and Kelly Walker, owners of The Potter's Wheel, Scarborough

Kerry Walker opened the post for her family’s shop The Potters Wheel in Scarborough and was amazed to find inside a cream whipper, still in its box, that had been stolen from the store and apparently returned by a guilt-ridden thief.

Attached to the box was an apologetic post-it, simply stating: ‘I stole this from your shop – sorry!’

“I just stood there with my mouth wide open in silence”, said Ms Walker. “I just thought how could anybody be so honest?”

Ms Walker and her father Graham were all the more amazed as it appears the person who took it has actually been left out of pocket by their honesty as it cost £3.50 to post the machine back.

The dispenser, worth £70, was stolen from Mr Walker’s store in the resort’s Huntriss Row.

Mr Walker had noticed the whipper wasn’t on the shelves of his store, which he has owned for 42 years, but had just assumed it had been sold by one of his staff.

And he is baffled by how the light-fingered culprit managed to get the heavy box out of the store in the first place.

“I just have no idea how they did it or how they even got it in their pocket,” he said.

“I’m just as surprised as to how it’s come back – it’s something sellable, they could have got about £40 or £50 easily.”

And Mr Walker is even more baffled about the thief’s sudden change of heart – especially since the theft has ultimately left the crook out of pocket.

He added: “I find the whole thing bizarre.

“They shouldn’t have taken it in the first place but I’m just very pleased and would like to thank them for bringing it back and being honest- it’s a rare thing these days.

“I would have been £70 out of pocket, and times are hard here like everywhere, but it wasn’t cheap to send back – they’re now £3.50 down themselves, as it cost them to post it.”

Cream whippers are used to quickly whip and dispense cream.

Mr Walker does not known where or when the whipper was posted, or when it was stolen, but he is pleased that the thief had a change of heart.

“I’m just glad that somebody, somewhere still has a conscience,” Mr Walker added yesterday.