PRISCILLA Roberts never thought she'd see her purse again after it was stolen in a terrifying raid.

But she didn't count on Oscar Brogden - the kind-hearted security guard who has reunited 900 people with their lost belongings over the past five years.

Back in August, Priscilla, 30, was enjoying a quiet night out with pals in Didsbury's Pitcher and Piano bar when a gang of cleaver-wielding thugs burst in.

The thugs terrified staff and customers and ordered them to hand over their purses and phones.

The gang, who also escaped with thousands of pounds of the bar's takings, later threw away the purses they had stolen, leaving the cards inside.

Last month Priscilla's purse was discovered by a worker who dropped it off at Oscar's Gorton office.

Oscar, who is based at the Hammerstone Road depot, co-ordinates a citywide scheme in which council street cleaners pull out all the stops to reunite people with lost or stolen property.

And despite only earning about é13,000, he always puts a little bit of his own money in each purse or wallet, giving away around é2,000 in this way since 2001.

Customary cash

Oscar, 60, tracked Priscilla down and sent her the purse - after leaving his customary cash gift inside so she "could buy herself a drink".

Priscilla said: "I was totally taken aback at the effort Oscar and the refuse collection team go to.

"After the traumatic way the purse was taken, having it returned really restored my faith in human nature.

"The armed robbery was pretty nasty - there was just me, my friend and another guy at the bar and we were held at knifepoint. As far as I was concerned I would never see the purse again.

"I was really surprised when I got a letter from Oscar who had traced me through the cards in my purse, which the thieves had left behind. The street cleaners and refuse collectors in this city are often undervalued but this goes to show they go the extra mile."

Oscar also takes part in a refuse collection scheme which sponsors children in local authority care.

This year, Oscar and his pals have raised enough cash to give 70 needy youngsters 500 presents.

He said: "I won't pretend - doing a good turn makes me feel tremendous.

"Manchester must be the only local authority where the workers join together to help people like this." Tweet