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Islington Tribune - by JAMIE WELHAM
Published: 7 September 2007

Rewards for honesty: Madalene Moore and Peter Hayward outside Sainsbury’s at the Angel

Cashback delight for shopper who dropped purse in street

Owner ‘bowled over’ by honesty of passer-by who returned missing £200

WHEN pensioner Madalane Moore lost her purse containing £200 at the Angel she never expected to see it again.
Imagine her surprise and delight when five days later she received a call from Sainsbury’s in Tolpuddle Street to say the purse had been handed in.
Chef Peter Hayward had spotted the wallet on the pavement outside the store and decided he would try to return it to its owner. He handed it over to a member of Sainsbury’s staff who eventually managed to track down Mrs Moore.
The 64-year-old had just withdrawn £200 to stock up on food for bank holiday weekend when she lost the purse on August 24.
Mrs Moore, a former Qualifications and Curriculum Authority press officer who lives in Dalston, described Mr Hayward as a knight in shining armour.
“I thought that was the end of it when I lost it so I was absolutely bowled over when I got a call saying it had been handed in,” she said.
After she lost the purse she had to borrow money to get home.
Mr Hayward, 36, from Angel, was delighted to learn she had got her money back. “I thought ‘Shall I go to the police station or the supermarket’ but thought whoever had lost it must have only just done their shopping so I took it into the store. I like to think most people would have done the same.”
A quick-thinking member of staff at Sainsbury’s found Mrs Moore’s daughter’s business card in the purse.
Mrs Moore was stunned when her daughter rang to tell her the good news.
She said it confirmed her faith in people’s honesty: “It just goes to show there are more honest people out there than the cynics think,” she said.
Mrs Moore was so thrilled she offered Mr Hayward a £100 reward, which he decided to donate to charity.

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