WE’VE always said that for every person whose actions destroy our faith in humanity, there are countless more waiting to restore it.

The latest example involves six-year-old Isabelle Owen, whose family was the victim of a particularly nasty burglary as they slept in their Swindon home.

Isabelle has autism and is non-verbal, so the iPad and specialist apps she used were a valuable window on, and means of interacting with, the world around her.

That iPad was among the items stolen in the burglary. Would the thief or thieves have hesitated had they known exactly who they were stealing from? Frankly we doubt it, as such people tend to care about nobody and nothing other than themselves and their comfort.

Fortunately for Isabelle and her family, they live in a community where such people form only a tiny - if thoroughly horrible - minority.

As soon as word of what happened got out, offers of help began heading the family’s way. Those offers did not just come from private citizens; Wroughton firm TPS Chimneys and Stoves donated £400 towards a replacement machine and software.

Nearly as remarkably, the family has been contacted by a man who bought the iPad and realised it might be the stolen one.

His action in offering to return it, having presumably bought it with money he probably won’t see again, was highly commendable.

We only hope he is able to offer the police some detailed information about the person he bought it from. Should he be unable to provide a name or contact details, perhaps he might be asked to study some photographs of the three dozen or so ‘usual suspects ‘ in such matters.

Now that we know there’s a happy ending for this little girl and her family, having the criminal named and shamed would be the icing on the cake.