A pub landlady in England has received a £100 (R1830) cheque, and a note saying "sorry", from a woman involved in a burglary there more than 20 years ago.
Frances Cunningham, landlady of the Swettenham Arms in Congleton, Cheshire, and her husband were sent the payment, complete with a note from an apologetic thief for the "cruel" break-in in 1992.
The note, whose author has not been named, said: "To Mr and Mrs Cunningham, I was involved in a burglary at your business in 1992 approximately.
"I didn't break in or smash up the cigarette machine, but I was there and I went in. I'm very, very sorry. I did not realise the seriousness of my actions at the time."
Frances Cunningham told BBC Radio 5Live that she remembered the break-in "vaguely". But she said her son recalled problems with the cigarette machine.
She said: "This came as a complete and absolute surprise to me, to open the envelope and to have a cheque for £100 [in it].
"What do I do with the cheque because, strictly speaking, the money in the machine belongs to the people who put the machine in?"
She said she would donate the money to the local church.
"Wouldn't it be a lovely world if everybody did this now, if we all started sending or returning gifts?"
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