A remorseful thief has sent a letter of apology to a Bristol shop – seven years after stealing some cigarettes.

Imran Ahmed, 27, who runs Raja Foods in St Mark's Road, Easton, was amazed to receive the letter and recalled the night-time raid on the shop in 2001.

He said: "The shutter was broken and the window was smashed and cigarettes were stolen.

"The letter was passed to me by my cousin. It had been written on October 15 and sent to the shop.

"I was quite shocked. The writer said he had robbed the shop seven years ago and it was very wrong and he regretted it."

Mr Ahmed pinned the letter up on the shop's noticeboard. It reads: "Dear Sirs, I am writing this letter in order to make amends to you for something I have done in the past.

"About seven years ago I was walking past your shop late one night when I noticed that someone had broken into it.

"I used this opportunity to enter your shop where I stole 400 cigarettes. The money enclosed (£100) is to pay for those cigarettes which I stole from you. At that time I was heavily using drugs and my life was in a mess, now I no longer use drugs and I strive to lead a decent and honest life.

"As part of my ongoing recovery I try to put right all of the wrongs I have done in the past, at least where I can, and this is why I am giving you back the money which I stole from you. I regret the harm I caused you in the past and I sincerely apologise to you for it.

"I was very wrong to do this and I hope that returning the money will make up for this harm, at least in some small way."

Mr Ahmed, whose wholesale shop supplies the Indian restaurant trade, said he never heard if the police had caught anyone for the burglary in 2001.

He said he would love to know the identity of the mystery burglar.

He said: "I would love to find out who it was but I don't think he or she will contact us.

"It's amazing this has happened because Easton is an inner city area with a lot of drug-related crime.

"To have something like this happen is really good.

"People are starting to talk about it in the shop."

Mr Ahmed said he wanted to give the £100 to a drugs charity to help other users turn their lives around.

Avon and Somerset police spokesman Steve Game said: "The police are very pleased to hear that a victim has received some recompense for a crime. The letter shows that criminals can change their lives for the better."

Maggie Telfer, the director of Bristol Drugs Project, said the actions of the reformed thief were a 'clear example' of how drug users can turn their lives around and right their wrongs.

She said: "Lots of people stop using drugs every day in this country and for many of them part of the process is thinking about loved ones they have hurt or crimes they have committed.

"These are things they feel regret and shame about and they want to be able to apologise in some way."