Loughborough litter picker finds stolen locket in bushes

The double-sided locket was hidden in bushes by the side of a road

A locket taken in a burglary is set to be reunited with its owner after an appeal online.

Deborah Whittington found the locket earlier this month while litter picking in Loughborough, Leicestershire.

She handed it into police and it is due to be reunited with the owner once it has been forensically examined.

Its owner, from the West Midlands, said she was relieved the double-sided locket, which contains photographs of her grandparents, had been found.

The locket was found with other jewellery

After an appeal on the North Leicestershire Litter Wombles Facebook page, which was shared thousands of times, the owner got in touch and forwarded a photograph of her late mother wearing the locket.

Mrs Whittington, from Markfield, Leicestershire, who found the locket on Saturday 11 December, said: "It is nice to do something to help someone else.

"You start doing litter picking and you end up helping someone who has had a burglary.

"It is so amazing it actually got back to someone who owned it."

The 61-year-old said the locket was found among about 15 pieces of jewellery.

The locket had a photo of the owner's grandfather on one side and grandmother on the other

The owner of the item, who did not wish to be named, said the locket was taken during a burglary at her home in the West Midlands on 4 December.

She said she was relieved the locket had been found but most of the jewellery that was also stolen, including wedding, engagement and eternity rings, had not been traced.

The woman said her mother, who died last year, would wear the locket "most days".

West Midlands Police said it was arranging to collect the jewellery this week and begin its investigation.