'Angry' London mother writes letter to 'coward burglar'
A mother of two from south London whose house was burgled has written a letter addressed to the "coward burglar".
Angie Sowton, 33, put up 12 copies of the "angry" letter on her street in Herne Hill, Dulwich, after her home was ransacked last Wednesday.
In the letter Mrs Sowton said stealing the family's "sentimental possessions" will "bring you sadness, misfortune and the dark days you so rightly deserve".
She said felt "empowered" as residents read the letter she had pinned up.
Mrs Sowton said she wanted to express her "outrage" after "beloved" gifts were stolen from the family home and decided to put up the letter on her street over the weekend.
She was out with the children and her mother, who was visiting, and it was her husband Chris Sowton, 34, who discovered that their home had been burgled.
A ring given to Mrs Sowton by her in-laws for the birth of her daughters, a diamond necklace from her husband, christening necklaces of both children, Mr Sowton's laptop, and some iPods were among the valuables stolen from the home.
Some Christmas presents for the children were also ripped open, but not taken, Mrs Sowton said.
In the letter, from "a hardworking family", she wrote: "The few pounds you make from stealing ours and our children's hard earned, beloved and sentimental possessions will bring you sadness, misfortune and the dark days you so rightly deserve.
"You saw the photographs of our children's innocent faces and were still able to steal from them."
'Reclaimed my streets'
Mrs Sowton said: "I didn't write it [the letter] with the intention of putting it up.
"I could not sleep because of the burglary and then I just felt so angry that someone could just come into our home and take away our security."
She added that she was "not after revenge" but wanted to make the burglar feel a "pang of conscience".
"What I wanted was the burglar to read it and think twice about doing it again to somebody else.
"I didn't regret it for a single second. As soon as I wrote it and put it up it empowered me.
"I walked down the street with my girls, [feeling] I had reclaimed my streets."
Mrs Sowton said she took down the letters on Thursday.