Rail workers find £30,000 in used notes in bag left on train

Published on Monday 8 December 2008 08:41

STUNNED train staff found a holdall containing more than £30,000 in used bank notes on a train at Waverley Station.

The stash was discovered in a bag left on a CrossCountry train, which arrived in Edinburgh from Plymouth via London and Newcastle.

The money was handed to British Transport Police by puzzled rail workers – but no-one has ever come forward to claim it.

It is thought it was supposed to have been part of a bungled drugs deal or the proceeds of another criminal act.

One rail worker said: "We get a lot of odd stuff left on the trains, but they're not usually all that valuable. We couldn't believe it when we found the money.

"There's no doubt it was dodgy and obviously left by someone in a hurry.

"We got the police in and they took the bag away – that was the last we heard of it.

"It's not the sort of thing you want hanging around the lost and found, although I doubt anyone would have been stupid enough to try to claim it."

Waverley Station is known to be used as a route by drugs couriers, with a number of dramatic seizures of cocaine and heroin taking place there in recent years.

Last year a man was caught at the station with Class A drugs that had an estimated street value of 100,000.

The money-packed holdall, which was found in June, is perhaps the most startling "lost property" found at Waverley.

Other strange items left on trains in recent months include a wheelchair, an antique typewriter, a cat and a wedding dress.

Andy Cooper, managing director at CrossCountry, said: "People leave all sorts of items on trains and this year we have found some very unusual ones, including baby buggies, shoes, designer handbags, cricket bats and even a wedding dress.

"We always advise passengers to check their seats and the areas around them when leaving a train, especially at busy times, to ensure that they have all their belongings with them.

"However, people can sometimes forget things and our staff are always on the lookout for anything left behind.

"We always endeavour to reunite our passengers with their lost luggage."