THE manager of a Skipton charity shop has told how a grieving widow made a generous donation after learning of the shop's recent theft of a designer handbag.

The woman, from Skipton, handed over £100 to the Cancer Research shop in Caroline Square because she had been 'sickened' by the theft, said manager, Joanne Metcalfe.

Two weeks ago, the £99.95 bag, bearing the Ralph Lauren label, was stolen from a display in the centre of the shop.

A man was caught on the store's CCTV cameras looking closely at the bag before it was taken, but a police appeal for help has so far drawn a blank.

The woman, who read about the theft in the Craven Herald, had lost her husband to cancer and was a supporter of the charity, said Mrs Metcalfe.

They had been married for more than 50 years and she had cared for him after he had developed Alzheimers. He had then been diagnosed with cancer and had died shortly afterwards.

"I just found it a very humbling experience that something so positive could happen after something so awful," said Mrs Metcalfe.

"This woman said she had felt so sickened that someone could have stolen from us, we spoke for a long time and then she handed me a cheque for £100. It was a lovely gesture and very moving. It certainly makes my job better."

Following the theft, the shop has had to re-think its security, and will no longer leave valuable items where they can easily be taken.