Mum begs thief for daughter's lock of hair from stolen bag Published duration 24 March 2019

image copyright Family Handout image caption Ellie Louise Baldwin died suddenly six years ago from bronchial pneumonia

A mother has urged a thief to return a lock of hair which she said was all she had left of her two-year-old daughter.

Kirsty Baldwin's daughter Ellie Louise died suddenly six years ago of bronchial pneumonia and she had kept the hair in her handbag, which was stolen at a motorway service station.

The bag was taken from her car in front of her at Birch Services on the eastbound M62 in Greater Manchester.

PC Cherie Castle said the robbery had "devastated" the family.

Ms Baldwin, 35, from the Newcastle area, was robbed at about 22:30 GMT on Wednesday at the services, near Rochdale, by what she described as an "unkempt" man.

She said he opened the passenger door before she could lock it and grabbed the handbag.

The designer bag contained a tablet computer, a large amount of Euros in cash, a purse containing the lock of Ellie Louise's blonde hair laminated on a card.

image copyright Family Handout image caption Kirsty Baldwin said the lock of hair was "all we had left" of her daughter

Ms Baldwin said the lock of hair was "all we had left of her".

She added: "Please, if anyone finds the lock shown in the picture, please do the right thing and hand it in to your nearest police station. Thank you."

Ms Castle said: "Robbery in any circumstance is particularly distressing but Kirsty and her family have been left devastated.

"The hair is such a precious item that cannot ever be replaced and she's desperate it's returned to her."

The robber is described as white with unkempt hair.

The woman who drove his getaway car is also described as white, between 40 and 50 years old, with long, dark hair, which was tied up and "haggard looking".