A hairdresser who accidentally left a week's worth of her takings in a Swadlincote restaurant following 'the day from hell', has issued a heartfelt thanks to staff who came to her rescue.
Michelle Martinez, from Newhall, has told how she was having a really bad day when she decided to nip to the New Swad Indian, on the Delph.
While there the hairdresser saw a client of hers who had had some bad news. In a bid to console her, Michelle bought her a drink and in doing so left her purse on the table, which contained a week's takings from her business.
The 48-year-old said: "I had a really bad day on the Friday and I was a bit all over the place. I was so busy at work and I had to stay late so I had a week’s worth of cash in my bag ready to deposit at the post office. By the time I got out of work the post office was closed and I was tired and stressed.
"I thought, 'I am not cooking after the day I have', had so I went to the New Swad Indian restaurant. While I was waiting I saw a client whose mum is terminally ill.
"She was obviously very upset so I treated her to a beer to try to cheer her up. I must have put my purse down on the table and then got up to leave when my food was ready. I didn't even notice I was so tired."
The mother-of-one, who works at Havana Studio, in Oakland Village, said she "knew exactly what she had done" when she couldn't find her purse the next day.
She said: "I was full of panic but I was just hoping and praying that someone had found it and put it safe. When I was in the restaurant there was a group of teenagers loitering outside so I was really worried they might have found it and had a great weekend."
After calling the restaurant, Michelle was relived to find that her purse and its contents were waiting for her there.
She said: "I cried. I just couldn't believe how lucky I was and how brilliant they were. I couldn't believe someone else didn't pick it up. I didn't know how to thank them I was so grateful."
Now Michelle has approached the Burton Mail to help her give the staff the thank you they deserve.
She said: "I just want to say a massive thank you to them for being so kind and so honest. They put it safe without a second thought and it could have ended very badly. It may seem like a little thing to some people but it was a massive deal to me and they saved the day.
"There are not many nice stories or people doing good deeds so I think it deserves to be recognised. They will have a customer in me for life."
