WHITEFIELD mother Diane Nivern thought a mystery caller had made her son's day when he revealed he had found his missing Pokemon computer game -- until he demanded a £20 ransom.

Josh, 7, was left distraught after the £80 game, bought as a present for his birthday, was lost during a day out in Knutsford.

The only hope was that the family's address and telephone number had been written on the back of the distinctive silver pocket console.

A happy ending looked on the cards when Mrs Nivern received a telephone call from a teenager revealing he had found it.

But the call turned sinister when the youth demanded a face-to-face meeting to hand over the game in exchange for £20.

A stunned Mrs Nivern, of Bury New Road, said: "Josh is really upset. He knows someone has found it and been in touch with us, and does not understand why they won't give it back. Whoever has the game knows it belongs to a young child.

"I asked the caller to send it in the post and I would send £20, but they did not want that, even though I stressed I was a respectable mother-of-two."

The cruel caller left the family with a false contact number so Mrs Nivern has been unable to get back in touch. Mrs Nivern, who works as an aromatherapist, said she still hoped the uncharitable caller would have a change of heart. "Josh still keeps asking about it. He has been taking his SATS tests at school and it has been difficult getting him to concentrate on his studies, because he knows someone has got it," she added.