Homeless Thief Left A Note When Returning The Blanket He 'Borrowed'

An Australian thief with a conscience left an apology note and a smiley face alongside a blanket he or she had stolen and returned.

The cold, homeless person broke into the trunk of 82-year-old Bert Palin's car while the great-grandfather spent the day with family in the Sydney suburb of Redfern, the Herald Sun reported Monday.

Upon opening the trunk to grab his wife's walker the next day, Palin found a neatly folded picnic blanket resting in the trunk with a hand-scribbled note on top.

The elderly man never even realized his blanket had been taken, but the note explained the culprit was a person without a home who'd been freezing and needed it.

The thief apologized and noted the coverlet was, frankly, a little scratchy.

Palin told local press he's amazed at the message, adding,

I've been passing the note around and people are amazed... (my grandson) couldn't stop laughing.

He even washed the blanket, hoping to soften it a little -- in case anyone ever needs it again.

If only all theft ended with the item returned and an apology note.

Citations: Worlds politest thief breaks into car twice once to steal an itchy blanket and once to return it with a polite note (NT News )