NIAGARA FALLS – An Amherst woman had her purse stolen while she danced at the Seneca Niagara Casino nightclub early Sunday, police said. A man later returned the purse, saying his inebriated friend had mistakenly taken it, but most of the contents were missing.

Police said that the purse went missing between 2 and 4 a.m. while the victim was dancing with her husband at the Stir nightclub. She did not realize the purse was missing for some time, and by then a Buffalo man had contacted the casino, reporting that a friend he had taken to the casino had mistaken the purse for hers and left with it. When he realized that the purse was not hers, he contacted the casino to return it.

When the victim got her purse back, she reported that it was missing some family passports, her cellular telephone and $800 in cash. The only items of importance that were not missing were her credit cards.

Police said that any number of people had access to the purse in the nightclub, and they did not immediately press any charges. An investigation is continuing.