I LIVE on the top floor of a block of flats in York. The building is entry by intercom only.

Last Wednesday at 7.45am I struggled down the steps with my child. It was snowing and I found it difficult to wheel my pushchair, so I returned to the flat and left the pushchair under the stairs.

I would have left it in the shed, but this has been vandalised, and I cannot insert the key.

When I returned the pushchair had been stolen. It had just been delivered. I haven't even received the invoice to pay for it. I don't have a lot of money and certainly no spare money.

This theft has disadvantaged us.

I am not a vindictive person and don't wish for the person responsible to be struck down by some terrible misfortune. Nor am I hoping to appeal to their conscience. Anybody capable of stealing a child's pushchair can't possibly have one.

However, I have reported the theft to the police. If anyone reading this knows someone who has recently acquired a lovely new pushchair, which doesn't belong to them, I should be grateful if they would contact the police.

If the thief is reading this and would like to call and remove the old pushchair he or she left in place of my new one please do so - I don't want it.

Name and address supplied.

Updated: 09:55 Thursday, March 03, 2005