A Moray toddler was jumping for joy last night after being reunited with a birthday gift which was stolen from his garden.
Two-year-old Jonathan McIntosh was devastated when his trampoline was stolen by thieves under the cover of darkness at the weekend.
But, yesterday, the Forres child was in high spirits once again after the toy was discovered dumped in a nearby park, following an appeal in the Press and Journal.
Jonathan’s parents, Brian and Debbie, had carried out an exhaustive search in the hope the trampoline might have been abandoned.
Checks around the town failed to find the play equipment in the days following the theft.
However, the trampoline, which was one of Jonathan’s birthday presents last year, was later found abandoned in a park on Grant Road West – leading Mr McIntosh to declare the publicity had shamed the raiders into getting rid of it.
He said: “We had a few people out searching and Debbie received tons of messages from people who were helping.
“It seems like an awful coincidence that it would turn up in the park the day after it was in the paper – especially as we looked there initially and couldn’t see it. It was just sitting out on the green.
“I honestly thought we wouldn’t get it back or it would be wrecked. Somebody’s probably taken it as a prank and decided to get rid of it later.”
The trampoline was one of Jonathan’s favourite toys. And he didn’t waste any time in celebrating after being reunited with it.
Friends of Mr McIntosh spotted the item in the park and immediately called the Elgin recycling centre worker about the find.
Remarkably it was returned to the family home without a scratch on it. Mr McIntosh added: “I’m just glad we got it back. As soon as we got it back Jonathan was jumping about on it, he was delighted.
“What annoyed me most was that people stooped low enough to steal it in the first place – a two-year-old’s toy sitting in a back garden.”
