‘Not so good Samaritan’ returns lost bag; keeps £150 camera as ‘reward’
15.10.11
A woman who found a couple’s lost bag at Bournemouth Airport posted it back to them – but kept their £150 camera as a ‘reward’. The police are now investigating what they consider to be a theft.
Jeremy and Sally Weaving mislaid a black holdall containing passports, a driver’s licence, cash and the Panasonic Lumix after a trip to Italy and were thrilled when it was returned. But their joy turned to shock when they read a note signed ‘a good Samaritan... but not that good’ and realised their camera was missing.
The finder said it would replace one stolen from her and her husband and should be seen as a ‘reward’. Sally said: ‘I thought, ‘hooray, good people really do exist’ but things were not that simple. Everything was there but the camera. I was shocked at the liberty taken with my possessions. Call me old-fashioned but I always thought a reward was given, not stolen.’
Jeremy and Sally, from Totton, Hampshire, left their bag at Bournemouth Airport but it had gone when they returned to look for it. They believe the finder should have just handed it in. The finder, who gave a false address, wrote: ‘I’m sure your gratitude will extend to let me keep the camera as a reward. You will find the memory card with this letter so you can still see your holiday snaps. Hope you look at the whole incident as a travel expense.’
Dorset Police are treating the incident as theft and are investigating. The bag was left in the airport car park. Hopefully the airport’s CCTV will see the ‘not so good Samaritan’ receive her just rewards.
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