Child’s ashes discovered in Letchworth charity shop

A CHARITY shop is appealing for the owner of an urn believed to contain a child’s ashes to come forward following a discovery.

A staff member at the Letchworth GC branch of mental health charity Mind found ashes inside a china teddy bear on Friday when organising items for a new display.

The discovery was made after a hole underneath the teddy bear’s feet was unplugged and revealed the ashes, which fill the urn to the brim.

“I don’t know if the person who handed it in realised what was hidden in it as it could be that someone was clearing out a house,” said Gay Hall, assistant manager at the store in Leys Avenue, who is getting the ashes verified by a nearby funeral directors.

“It looks like it’s for a child as it’s in a teddy bear holding a book. The person who opened it up lost a child himself so he knew what he was looking at.

“We are very keen to find the owner as it’s got to go back to where it belongs. Someone is going to be missing it so we need to reunite it with its rightful owner. If you know anything give us a call or pop into the shop.”

The shop is currently holding onto the ashes for safe keeping but Gay added they couldn’t be sure when they were taken to the shop.

“We’ve got a really big stock room so it could have been sitting in the shop for six months,” she said.

If you handed in the teddy bear urn or know the person who did, contact Mind on 01462 482703 or visit the store situated at 28 Leys Avenue.