Mother's heartbreaking plea after dead daughter's lock of hair stolen

A mother has made an emotional appeal after her handbag was stolen. Photo / Greater Manchester Police / Facebook

A mother has made an emotional plea after her handbag containing a lock of hair from her daughter who died six years ago was stolen.

Manchester local Kirsty Baldwin was at a petrol station on Wednesday and left her handbag on the passenger's seat.

But before she could lock her car, a man opened the passenger door and snatched Baldwin's bag before running off, said Greater Manchester Police.

The thief got away with an iPad, a large sum of cash and the lock of blonde hair that belonged to her 2-year-old daughter Ellie, who died six years ago.

Now the distraught mother has made an emotional appeal for the thief to return the lock of hair, the item she keeps close to her heart as a reminder of her daughter's energy.

"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," Baldwin said in a Facebook post shared by police.

Police Constable Cherie Castle said while the return of all the items would be the best result, Baldwin is desperate to have the lock of hair returned.

"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."

Ellie Louise Baldwin died six years ago, aged just two. Photo / Greater Manchester Police / Facebook

Locals on the hunt pleaded with the thief to return the lock of hair, suggesting places they could drop it off.

"Do the right thing and at least, drop off the lock of hair, I would say at a police station but you won't do that will you? So can I suggest at say a hospital where it can collected by the parents? Show some compassion....or karma will get you," one person wrote.

Others described the situation as the "most heartbreaking" situation they've read and vow to keep an eye out for her daughter's precious locks.