A set of peculiar circumstances worthy of the finest of shaggy dog stories has saved an historic bronze plaque.
Four years ago a thief unscrewed then prized-off the memorial from the lych gate of the Auld Kirk of Ayr.
It was feared the plaque, celebrating the church's 300th anniversary, had been melted for scrap.
At the time the Ayrshire Post wrote of the desecration, with police labelling it "an utterly despicable act."
Flashback, the plaque was stolen in 2016 (Image: Ayrshire Post)But it has now turned up in a communal storage cupboard in the close of flats across the river in Elba Street.
It was discovered within bubblewrap and a Matalan bag by John Thomson, who had the sad task of clearing out the house after the death of his mother June, aged 85.
By divine intervention Auld Kirk minister David Gemmell had conducted June's funeral a couple of weeks earlier.
Read More Related ArticlesInside an envelope discovered with the plaque was a cutting of the 2016 Ayrshire Post Stephen Houston article on the theft.
So it seems somebody linked to the theft - or the ghoul himself - found their morality.
Rev Gemmell said: "I am thrilled it has been found intact and it came totally out of the blue.
"Elba Street is not even in my parish, so it was a real coincidence I conducted Mrs Thomson's funeral.
"After it went missing PC Jamie Cree carried out a ton of work to try and get it back.
"The plaque was obviously so easily identifiable, but there was no trace.
"It is lovely to have a good news story to get out there."
He is now planning some sort of re-dedication ceremony after it is put back in its rightful place.
Rev David Gemmell (Image: Ayrshire Post)The 23-inch by 18-inch plaque had been on the right hand side of the 1656 lych gate since 1954.
The congregation paid for it to mark the tercentenary of the founding of the Auld Kirk.
John Thomson is delighted he found it, saying: "I decided to check the communal area of the flats in case my mum had anything there.
"The plaque was covered in bubble wrap, obviously very heavy, and inside three bags including the Matalan one.
"The Ayrshire Post article was in an envelope beside it. Somebody obviously had a change in conscience.
"It could have been anybody really as at the time the close did not have security doors, so anyone could have placed it there.
"However it does look like they wanted it found, especially adding the Ayrshire Post story.
Read More Related Articles"And I am so happy I could help get it back to the church."
PC Daniel Small, of Troon Response Policing, added: "A member of the public contacted me to advise that they had discovered the plaque in a communal storage store.
"I attended and identified it as stolen property from July 2016 and returned the item to its rightful owner."
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