Mother pleads for return of daughter's lock of hair stolen at Birch Services

A mother whose young daughter died six years ago has urged thieves to return a lock of her hair which was inside her handbag that was stolen from Birch Services.

Kirsty Baldwin, 35, said the blonde hair was “all we had left” of two-year-old Ellie Louise, who died suddenly of bronchial pneumonia.

Kirsty’s handbag was stolen from her passenger seat before she could lock her doors or drive away after she got into her car at Birch Services near J19 on the M62 (eastbound) at around 10.30pm on Wednesday 20 March.

 

 

A man, described as white with unkempt hair, opened the passenger door and took the designer handbag.

He then got into another car, with a “haggard-looking” woman at the driving seat, and drove away from the services. 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, and around 5ft 7in tall.

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. 

In addition to the lock of Ellie’s hair, the designer handbag also contained an iPad, a large amount of cash in Euros, and a purse containing a memorial card.

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.