Tracey Mollet was left fretting over her future when her bag was stolen from the Central Library, Halifax, on Monday.

Among personal items were notes in a binder, which are crucial to her exams next month.

Tracey, 21, of Cross Hill Greetland, is studying history at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and was left devastated by the theft.

But she has now had half her notes returned by staff at Halifax vets Hird and Partners, Blackwall, and most of the remainder have been found strewn around Blackwall and West Parade, Halifax.

Receptionist Denise Sutcliffe saw a man dump the file on a parking meter around 6pm on Tuesday.

Her colleague, Lisa Harrison-Greenwood, brought them inside but found no name and planned to ring the Courier when she started her afternoon shift.

"But, I was in Sainsbury's late morning and picked up a Courier. I could not believe what I was reading, and thought 'oh my God' and I rang the police number on the article straight away," she said.

"There is an awful lot of work in the file and when I saw it I realised somebody would not have just thrown it away.

"I am just glad the girl has got it back."

Tracey received a call from police at lunchtime and collected her much-valued file.

Staff told her they had also seen papers strewn around the area and Tracey estimates she has now collected 90 per cent of the missing papers with help from her grandparents Peter and Mary Duffy, of Rochdale Road, Greetland.

"A big mass of paper was dumped in a doorway," said Tracey.

"Those we found on the streets are wet but still readable and I'm absolutely delighted.

"I am grateful to the two women and the Courier.

"It will now be a long session with the hairdryer!"