Our Christmas day was ruined after cruel thieves stole every present in our home but kind donations saved the day
A FAMILY whose home was ransacked by heartless thieves just days before Christmas have been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers.
Samantha Headland’s two children, aged 11 and 12, were devastated to realise every gift had been taken during the raid of their Nottinghamshire home.
The wrapped presents were in bags ready to be put under the Christmas tree when they were snatched from the family home on Manvers Street in Worksop in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Samantha had got up to use the bathroom just before 3am when she heard whispering coming from the living room.
She thought it was the children so yelled out only to see two people run past the stairs and out the back door.
Burglars stole everything they could take from sweets and chocolate to Samsung tablets, and even the lateral flow tests to be used by the children when they headed back to school.
They also riffled through her handback and made off with £50 cash as well as all of the presents for the kids, friends and family.
Both kids were in tears after learning they’d been robbed, leaving Samantha and her fiancé heartbroken.
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But an outpouring of public generosity has turned the family’s Christmas around.
The local community rallied together to give presents, vouchers and money so the kids have something to celebrate.
Local residents, businesses, small local charities and a church contributed to the bounty of presents they received.
Samantha said the generous offerings has brought back the Christmas joy they thought had been taken.
She told the Nottingham Post: “I can’t ‘thank you all’ enough for all the kindness and support and generosity you have shown to us.
“We thought Christmas was well and truly cancelled for us but the support has been amazing. People have been little elves for us and it’s absolutely lovely.
“You don’t expect it as we’re just ordinary, normal everyday people. Thank you to everyone, it’s so overwhelming.”
Inspector Neil Bellamy from Nottinghamshire Police, said the kindness was in the spirit of Christmas.
He said: “It’s amazing to see people coming together to support this family and give them a Christmas and presents for them all, and especially for their children to open on the most festive day of the year.
“I would like to personally say a huge thank you to every single person who has donated gifts, money and vouchers to the family and to everyone who has left messages of support. It’s so lovely to see.”