Ref. 30856-08A HANDBAG stolen from a woman just days after her life had been turned upside down by a tragedy has been returned minus most of its contents.

Within just five days, Tina McCann, 35, went through the horror of having her brother left fighting for his life after a road crash and the death of her 10-year-old son, who was knocked off his bike by a car.

Then on Monday, her bag was snatched by thieves as she sought comfort by her mother's grave in Whitworth Road cemetery.

But Tina's sister, Olivia, 30, answered her door in Pinehurst on Tuesday evening to find three girls with the bag.

She said: "They returned it. They told me the word had gone out about the bag and they had been given it by somebody."

However, although the bag still contained precious photographs of Mitchell, that was all it contained.

A debit card and bank card, as well as cash and £50-worth of WH Smith gift vouchers were missing, as was the mobile telephone on which messages of condolence were stored.

Olivia said there was a SIM card in the bag, but it was not from the stolen telephone.

Tina is planning to report the return of the bag to police and for the meantime mystery still surrounds who took it.

Her nightmare began when brother Michael was critically injured in a car crash in Pinehurst Road on Sunday, June 6. He is recovering at the Great Western Hospital.

Last Friday, Mitchell died after being hit by a car as he crossed Queen's Drive on his bicycle.

And to add to her misery, Tina's khaki bag, containing precious keepsakes of her son was taken from her red Rover car at the cemetery at about 3pm on Monday.

Mitchell was today due to be laid to rest at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Rodbourne Cheney. The passionate young footballer overcame the challenges of Down's Syndrome, and a collection for the Down's Syndrome Association was planned in his memory.

Olivia said posters of him smiling proudly in his football kit would be on display at the reception, and that small photographs, printed at no charge by Cats Solutions of Rushey Platt, would be handed to loved ones.

Olivia explained that this was a popular tradition in Ireland, where the family comes from.

She added: "Tina is bearing up as well as can be expected.

"Family have come over from Ireland to support us."

l Gary Huckin, of Naunton Road in Walcot, has been remanded in custody by Swindon Crown Court in connection with the accident which injured Michael and killed Matthew Styles, 19.

Huckin is charged with causing death by dangerous driving, failing to report an accident and leaving the scene.

The case has been adjourned for a preliminary hearing on August 6.

Barrie Hudson