Thieves have returned a proud Army veteran’s fundraising flag for wounded soldiers days after tearing it down from outside the widower’s farm shop.

John Bartram, 78, was shocked when his Help for Heroes flag – the charity he began fundraising for in memory of his beloved wife Mary – was stolen from his shop in Woodmansterne Lane, Carshalton.

Mr Bartram, who served in the artillery and field regiments of the Army, used the flag to attract visitors to his store to buy mechandise for the charity.

But after this newspaper ran a story highlighting the theft, the flag was returned in a bag and stowed under the gate.

Mr Bartram said: “Perhaps there are still some good in people after all. I was disappointed in human nature when it happened, it seemed everybody was losing values. I thought it was despicable and I didn’t think I would get it back.

“But it seems as though they’ve got a conscience.”

Mr Bartram, who comes from a long line of war heroes with his grandfather and father serving in the First and Second World Wars respectively, began raising money for the charity two-and-a-half years ago, after hearing the story of brave paratrooper Ben Parkinson, who lost both his legs fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He said he was also motivated to help in memory of his wife Mary, who died in September 2007 after 50 years of marriage.

Mr Bartram said: “This is all in memory of Mary. She would have wanted me to do this.”

After the theft, Mr Bartram bought a new Help for Heroes flag and put it up on the original flag pole. He said he would now consider buying a new flag pole so he could fly the old flag opposite.

Mr Bartram’s efforts have grown steadily over the years and he now organises fundraising fun days and sells the charity’s merchandise on market stalls and at his shop on Sunray Farm. So far he has raised £10,000.