"I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience that I have caused".
A newsagent was left a £10 note with a handwritten letter from a shoplifter apologising for stealing.
Halil Kurt owns two shops in Crouch End, north London, which are popular with students from the nearby school.
The 37-year-old was standing outside the branch of Londis he runs on May 17 when he saw a student walk into his other store, Weston Off Licence, four doors down.
When Mr Kurt walked over to see if he needed any help, he got there to find the student had gone – but a letter had been left on the counter.
Inside he found an anonymous note containing £10 and a heartfelt apology for stealing ice cream many years earlier when he was “significantly younger”.
The dad-of-three said: “It was quite emotional.
“As I read the letter I was just like happy, that kind of thing. It made me happy that someone is still doing what’s supposed to be done even though they made a mistake in the past.”
The letter writer wrote: “I am writing this letter to apologise for my actions of shoplifting from your store.
“I want to take full responsibility for my actions and I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience that I have caused.”
The writer assured Mr Kurt that he learnt his lesson and would "never shoplift again".
The note added: “I have enclosed £10 to compensate for my actions and the goods that I took. I hope you can forgive me sincerely.”
Mr Kurt said: “I felt real emotion. It was something that I wasn’t expecting.”
He said he looked at his CCTV footage and saw that it was a student who left the letter but did not know if it was delivered on behalf of someone else.
The shopkeeper added: “All these students come into my shop every day and I’m always friendly with them.
“I give them sweets sometimes if they don’t have money. I’m like an uncle but they have to follow the rules.
“If people do something like this and they pay it back I am the happiest person in the world.”
David Winskill, who lives nearby, said: “It’s clear that this has been playing on the mind of someone, possibly for decades.
“The sense of relief they are feeling is wonderful. It’s really brought a lot of joy to people who have heard about this in that having a conscience still exists in a lot of people.”
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