Great Yarmouth Mercury readers came to the rescue when a man lost his wallet at Gapton Hall.

Steve Texera was due to jet to Cape Town, in South Africa, at the weekend and feared the loss of his cards and driving licence would cause him grief - not least with hire car firms.

But readers were quick to help after he contacted the Mercury and a message was posted on the Mercury’s Facebook page.

Mr Texera believed he had lost his brown leather wallet, which contained all his cards, driving licence and travellers cheque card, outside Sports Direct at around 11.30am on Tuesday.

Within minutes of the help message being posted on Facebook, reader Christine Rosati wrote: “When I was in Boots on Gapton today around 11.45am they were talking about a wallet they had found.

“That was a brown leather one. So guessing they have it for safe keeping.”

And soon after, on the same evening, reader Anne Marie Branton posted: “I handed a wallet in to Boots this morning containing bank cards and driving licence.”

Mr Texera phoned Boots on Tuesday night, but said staff working late at the dispensary told him they did not have access to the safe.

He tried again on Wednesday morning, and the result was a happy ending.

Afterwards he emailed the Mercury his thanks.

He said: “I got my wallet back this morning, Boots had it. I just want thank you again. The power of social media again hey.”

And he added: “Thanks a million.”

The Mercury’s Facebook page now has more than 6,500 likes.

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