A Scots single mum has been left penniless after heartless thieves stole her bank card and emptied her account of her last £50.
Stephanie Baker, 35, accidentally dropped her bank card in Aldi, Stewarton on Tuesday evening.
The single mum-of-two had popped in to the budget supermarket to pick up some essentials for her and her son Josh, 13 daughter Lucy, 10 just after 5pm.
But within minutes callous thieves had pocketed her card before heading to a nearby Sainsbury's where they made four separate purchases, in contactless payments, spending the very last of her cash.
Contactless technology is a fast and easy way to pay for goods and services of £45 and under without the need to enter a pin. The limit is soon to be increased to £100, which Stephanie worries will make crimes like this worse.
Ayrshire mum Stephanie didn't notice her card was gone until 8am the next morning when she immediately reported it to police and her bank.
She said she was distraught to learn that the thieves had cleared her out of cash on their spree at the rival supermarket.
Stephanie told the Record: "I left Aldi at 5.10pm and the first purchase was made in Sainsbury's by the thieves at 5.20pm so they must have been right behind me. I even think they might have even seen me drop it and still took it, which is even more sickening.
"That was my last £50. It was my birthday on Sunday and it was actually money my gran had transferred for me to treat myself, but because it was the last week before pay day, I had been saving it in case we needed it."
Stephanie says she is lucky to have everything she needs at home and says neighbours have kindly offered to help the family should they need it, but the theft means the mum has no money until she gets paid on Friday.
She added: "We have been left with absolutely no cash."
Stephanie reported the theft to her bank, Santander, who have instructed her to fill out the appropriate forms and said the money will be reimbursed in seven days and a new card is on its way.
She also reported the theft to Police Scotland who are viewing CCTV to try and track the thief.
Stephanie, who works part time as a bookkeeper and is studying for a degree in accounting, says while the amount that was stolen wasn't 'massive', the impact of the theft was.
She said: "I think these people really need to think about the impact of their actions. That might have only been £50 to them, so not a massive amount of money, but it's my hard-earned cash and not theirs to take.
"The impact of £50 on our wee family is massive and for all they know my kids might have had to go without food, or heating. We are lucky that we have everything we need but it's a horrible feeling knowing I have literally no cash at all.
"And what if a person is struggling with their mental health? This could be the thing that tips them over the edge, so there are bigger issues that come from just picking up someone's bank card and making that decision to keep it and use it.
"Even if someone drops a tenner in the street - for all you know that could be their last £10 and no one has the right to keep it.
"The limit for contactless is going up to £100 soon and I think that will make these kinds of thefts worse for the victims. I was lucky they only managed to steal a small amount, but someone else might not be so lucky."
Stephanie also told how her close knit community have rallied to her aid.
She said: "People around us have been fantastic. We have been overwhelmed with their kindness and it's nice to see that the majority of people are good."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "On Wednesday morning, 17 March, we received a report of fraudulent activity on a bank card after it was dropped in the Rigg Street area of Stewarton. Enquiries are ongoing."
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