Big Issue seller reunites woman with lost purse on Christmas Day

A woman was left ‘completely speechless’ when a Big Issue seller returned her lost purse by sending to her home on Christmas Day.

Yukiko Hosomi described the moment as a ‘Christmas miracle’ and has since vowed to raise money for The Big Issue Foundation by sewing and selling facemasks in Bristol.

Ms Hosomi, aged 46, lost her purse while out shopping in North Street on Christmas Eve, and thought she’d never see it again.

But Big Issue vendor, Ioan Covaci, who sells the magazine outside McColl’s on North Street, found the purse and sent his son to deliver it to her address, which he took from the woman’s driving licence.

Ms Hosomi said: “We had just settled down on Christmas Day when somebody knocked on the door.

“I was thinking ‘Who is coming to my house on Christmas?’ I was just completely speechless. I just couldn’t believe it. It was like: ‘Wow’. I felt the Christmas miracle happened to me for a reason and my faith in kindness has been rekindled.”

Mr Covaci sent his son to the woman’s address after holding on to it at his selling point in case she returned on Christmas Eve.

He said: “I’m happy that I could do something noble on Christmas Day.”

Mr Covaci’s son refused to accept a reward from Ms Hosomi, who has since visited the vendor on his pitch to say thank you.

And now she is raising money for The Big Issue Foundation by offering hand-made masks around Bristol in exchange for a donation to the charitable arm of The Big Issue.

She said:“It’s always this kindness that comes from the people who haven’t got that much. That has made me completely overwhelmed and I still feel overwhelmed.”

Anyone wanting to buy a mask can visit Yukiko’s JustGiving page.