A couple who made a tearful plea for the return of a lost purse in Coalville on Saturday were already well known on You Tube - thanks to their heartwarming love story video entitled 'Goodnight and Godbless'.

And husband Geoffrey Walker is a published author.

His book Parted by Conflict is a collection of love letters written while on National Service to his wife Pauline, whose emotional appearance over the weekend endeared her to thousands.

And the couple now have more than 113,000 Instagram follower which feature their life together.

Pauline and Geoffrey - who were married in 1951 - used an Instagram to make a video which went viral over the weekend after their online appeal.

It was on a shopping trip to Coalville on Saturday that she had a purse stolen from her trolley.

As a result, the pair, who live in Thringstone, put a clip online pleading for the return of the purse which contained personal items and family telephone numbers.

In the video, Mr Walker, aged 89, explains the theft of the purse alongside a tearful Pauline who is 86 years old.

He says that the purse contained the phone numbers of her children and that the bank had stopped all card transactions.

But he adds that it is the purse that they want back, because they believe the thieves would have discarded it after taking what money was inside it.

Mr Walker said: "She's very upset. The thieves tried to use the card, but the bank stopped the transactions. It has phone numbers of the children, the money will be gone but she's like her purse back."

Pauline later posted another video in which she says she is feeling a lot better but is 'still very cross with the people who stole it'.

She added: "I'd like to thank you all for the messages about me losing my purse."

And on Monday, the couple posted another video saying they would be on ITV on Tuesday morning.

Mr Walker says on the Instagram clip: "Thanks for all the new followers. Pauline's feeling all better now and has got over the shock."

But the pair are already well known online - and Mr Walker has written a book which has five star reviews.

On Parted By Conflict's Amazon page, Geoffrey says: "I was a National Serviceman with the Royal Leicestershire Regiment when I married Pauline in December, 1951.

"Shortly afterwards I was drafted abroad to the Far East until my demob. Sixty years afterwards I recovered hundreds of saved love-letters from the attic. This is a true story of lovers Parted by Conflict.'

And the couple's You Tube video tells the story of how their Instagram followers have steadily risen - even before the weekend purse theft.

But Geoffrey also recalls how he met Pauline.

He says on the You Tube clip: "I met Pauline when she was 16 and I was 20 years old.

"When I was 21 I was called up for National Service, but I managed to write to Pauline most days."

Pauline added: "I couldn't wait to get those letters, somedays I didn't get one, but others I'd get two or three together which was a bonus.

"We get messages from young girls who are hoping to have a long marriage like myself and Pauline.

"But we always signed out letters off 'Goodnight and Godbless' - and now, every night now, we always say 'Goodnight and Godbless'.