A weekly newspaper helped re-unite an elderly lady with some precious trinkets she unknowingly donated to a charity shop.

Betty Williams, 82, regularly donates items to Extra Care in Bromsgrove and had unknowingly left two precious items in the bottom of a bag she had taken to the store in September.

The bag was then purchased by a shopper and after the items were returned anonymously to the charity shop, staff appealed to Bromsgrove Standard in the hope that they could be reunited with their owners.

Betty’s daughter Lynn Parkes was reading through the newspaper to see a picture her son had featured in when she came across the article containing a picture of her parents in their younger days that had been in a key fob left in the bag.

The fob, along with a horseshoe-shaped trinket he had picked up on his travels, were carried with him throughout his navy career on HMS Ajax and since his death, Betty has carried around the items with her at all times in her handbag.

She said: “I didn’t realise I’d left them in there, they must have been trapped in the lining of the bag. I am really pleased that someone found them so that I can have them back.”

Standard editor Tristan Harris said: “It’s a wonderful conclusion to the story and we are delighted to have played a part in returning these precious items back to such a lovely lady.”