Cork toyshop owners left smiling as stolen marble returned with letter of apology

Letter sent to Pinocchio's. Picture via Instagram Pinocchio's Toy shop

The owners of Cork City's Pinocchio's toy shop were left with smiles on their faces after a child who stole a marble from the shop returned it in the post with a handwritten letter apologising for the theft.

The Paul St shop has been run by Wyon and Christel Stansfield since 1991, and they were put in a "good mood" when the letter came in the post on Friday morning.

Christel said she could not recall the customer that had sent the apology letter and after seeing the letter and the returned marble, she immediately showed it to her neighbours across the road.

"It's a good story to start the day with," Mrs Stansfield told the Irish Examiner.

"Somebody going through the trouble of posting back a marble, that just makes you kind of have faith in humanity.

"That is teaching your child something.

It is such a clever way of ensuring that your child more than likely will never do that again.

Ms Stansfield said there have been times when children do walk away with something in their hands without realising, and it could be "something very small, sometimes in their buggy".

"And then the parent comes back red-faced, a few minutes later, and says 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry my child took this'."

She says most of the times when incidents like this happens, it is "very innocent".

The letter from the child was posted on the store's social media and was addressed to the "The Owners of Pinocchio's Toy Shop"

It reads: "I have stolen an item from your shop, I swear I will never ever do something like that ever again. My sincere apoligies [sic].Oliver"

Wyon and Christel appreciated the boy's apology and his honesty.

By posting the letter online, the owners believe that it would help others, and say Oliver is welcome back to Pinocchio's anytime.