Staff at a Bath & North East Somerset Council recycling centre have been thanked by police after helping reunite £15,000 of cash with a couple from Burnham-on-Sea.
In November, Avon and Somerset Police received a report from the Recycle for Bathnes depot in Midsomer Norton that they had found something unusual inside a cardboard box.
The staff members had been looking for an electrical cable at the time when they noticed the box, which was tucked away inside another box containing a household item, and were surprised at what they found inside.
Site CCTV was checked and the person who dumped the box was identified.
Police then captured details of the vehicle they were driving, by using the ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras at the site. This showed the car was registered to a keeper in Burnham-on-Sea.
Neighbourhood PCSOs went to the address and found the vehicle on the drive.
Officers spoke to the couple who lived there, who told them they had been in the Bath area clearing the house of a relative who had recently passed away.
On their way back home, they said they had taken a number of bags and items to the recycling depot.
After the couple went to Radstock Police Station, it was agreed their account matched the property found.
Despite the fact they mentioned that the relative was known to hide money around the house in unusual places, they were aghast to hear the details of the find – £15,000 in cash.
In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police said: “We would like to say a big thank you to the staff at the recycling centre.
“Without their diligent attitude, integrity and assistance, the family would never have known about the money found, and we would not have been able to return it to them, especially in time for Christmas.”
A post on social media by Bath & North East Somerset Council said: “We are proud of our waste and recycling teams who work hard all year round and this is a lovely example of their diligence and professionalism.
“Our eagle-eyed member of staff who spotted the money is currently having a well-deserved Christmas break.”
