Mother pleads for return of daughters lock of hair stolen in Rochdale
Reporter: Jon Chubb
Date published: 26 March 2019
Ellie Louise Baldwin passed away at the age of two.
At around 10.30pm on Wednesday 20 March, 35-year-old Kirsty Baldwin got into her car at the Eastbound services and put her handbag on the passenger seat.
Before she was able to lock her doors or drive away, a man opened the passenger door and took the handbag.
He then got into another car, with a woman at the driving seat, and drove away from the services.
Part of the number plate of the car, which is described as a small, dark grey/black vehicle in poor condition, is either EE55, EE54 or EE52.
The man is described as white with unkempt hair. The woman in the getaway car is also described as white, between 40 and 50-years-old, with long, dark hair, which was tied up. She’s further described as being around 5ft 7in tall and haggard looking.
The designer handbag contained an iPad, a large amount of cash in Euros, a purse containing a memorial card and the most treasured item that’s been taken; a lock of blonde hair that belonged to Kirsty’s two-year-old daughter Ellie Louise Baldwin who sadly died six years ago.
Making an appeal for the items to be returned, Kirsty said: “Our daughter died unexpectedly of bronchial pneumonia and the lock of hair is all we had left of her apart from the clothes she had the night she died.
“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.”
Police Constable Cherie Castle of Greater Manchester Police’s Rochdale District, added: “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 placed and she’s desperate it’s returned to her.
“We’re hoping the offenders or whoever has any information about this robbery hear this story and return the hair as soon as possible.”
Anyone who has any information about the robbery should call police on 0161 856 8457 quoting incident number 2519 of 20/03/19.
Details can also be passed on anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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