SIR: Please allow me through your column, to firstly warn people about leaving bags on display in cars, and secondly to thank three very honest men.

On Friday, May 1, as I was parked at traffic lights next to Salford Crescent, on my way home from work, a male youth aged about 15, smashed the window of my passenger door and grabbed my bag. It all happened in a flash. Glass was everywhere, but thankfully I wasn't hurt.

The police said it was an opportunist crime, but that was no comfort to me when I had to spend the next day getting my front door locks changed, and my car fixed, as well as borrowing money from family members.

The happy ending to this story came when I was contacted by a man from the Salvation Army Hostel in Salford, who had found my diary. In the time it took me to drive over to collect it, the man, Ted Smyth, plus two friends, Steve and Kevin, had searched round in the bushes, and found the remainder of my belongings, minus £8 and my switch cards.

I was thrilled to get it all back, as there were personal items and work documents in the bag, and cannot express my thanks enough to these three men.

I am okay now, but would not like this to happen to anyone else. So please keep bags hidden when you are in your car.

Miss D Rourke

George Street, Horwich

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.