THE mother of one of the teenagers killed in the St James's School Alpine crash has had her handbag stolen containing precious memories of her son.

Distraught Carole Ridding was on her way home from Bolton town centre yesterday afternoon after buying flowers for her son's grave.

When she got home and looked for her keys, she realised she had left her handbag on the bus.

Mrs Ridding kept precious items of Keith in her purse so she would always have them with her. She had photos of Keith, a picture of him with best friend Robert Boardman, who was also killed, and a gold signet ring.

Mrs Ridding reported the bag missing, and it has since been found. But the purse which contained the memories, as well as £180 cash, is still missing. Fourteen-year-old Keith was tragically killed in 1997 when the coach he was travelling in during a school trip to France plunged more than 60 feet down a ravine. Best friend Robert Boardman, aged 14, and 16-year-old Nicola Moore were also killed in the accident

"I didn't have many photos of him and I can't believe they are gone," said a distraught Mrs Ridding this morning. "They mean so much to me. That is why I kept them in my bag - so they could be close to me all the time. They are of no real value to anyone - even the ring was scratched and battered, but it was Keith's. His most recent bus pass was there too."

Mrs Ridding also had a picture of Robert Boardman in the purse given to her by his mum shortly after the crash and a copy of the picture Keith had taken for his passport for the ill-fated trip to France. "I just hope someone has got the conscience to say where they chucked them," she said. "I am not that bothered about the money, even though it was two weeks' worth because of Easter.

"I just want the photos back. They are my personal things and memories of Keith. They can't mean anything to anybody else and I haven't got anything else left."

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