PARENTS Marion and Stephen Cook have praised a kind Malmesbury woman for returning a wallet containing Christmas gift tokens and savings to their seven-year-old son Iain.

The family, from Coaley, near Gloucestershire, were travelling through Malmesbury on the way to visit relatives in Andover last Tuesday.

After cleaning up their son who suffered travel sickness along the way, Mr and Mrs Cook forgot they left the boy's wallet on the car roof, and drove off.

Somewhere along the B4042 Malmesbury to Brinkworth road, the wallet fell off, and it was only later on that day that the Cooks realised it was gone.

Mrs Cook said: "Iain was very upset to lose it because it contained £35 in gift tokens and a big collection of two pence pieces in savings, which he intended to spend that day. My husband went back looking for it but could not find it. We thought it was lost."

A Malmesbury woman, who has asked not to be named, found the youngster's prized possession on a grass verge by the road and handed it in to Malmesbury police on Thursday morning.

Mrs Cook said: "Iain was jumping for joy. He will now be able to buy a Game Boy or DVD."

PC Simon Pope said it showed the kind-heartedness of local people.

He added: "We would encourage people to always report lost or found items."