NEWS RELEASE
FOUND: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FURRY?
First TransPennine Express tallies up the bizarre contents of their Lost
and Found as staff go over the year's finds
First TransPennine Express staff at Huddersfield train station are at a loss for words as they
begin the annual audit of the Lost and Found department. With all the ordinary misplaced
items safely preserved for collection by their rightful owners, it is the extraordinary that has
everyone scratching their heads.
Over the year, the 8million customers that pass though Huddersfield train station have left
behind their fair share of unusual items including a whole host of musical items; 2
saxophones, 6 guitars and the odd violin, and a cornet was once left and re-united with the
owner who had returned home to Australia.
Even stranger is how commuters have managed to lose; a glass with a set of false teeth in, a
defibrillator body called Arthur, which was eventually re-united with his owner, and even a
mountain bike. A dog turned up one day and a hamster was once left on the train, this was
eventually claimed, even though it didn't have ticket!
Other items regularly lost include; suitcases, buggies, child car seats, mobile phones, iPads,
glasses, wallets, train passes, cycle helmets, umbrellas, hats, scarves and gloves.
Will Munton, First TransPennine Express' West Yorkshire Station Manager, commented: "We
deal with over 6600 items of lost property every year including a number of more unusual
finds, averaging more than 18 misplaced items every single day.
"As FTPE covers such a large regional spread, helping travellers reach anywhere from
Edinburgh to Blackpool pleasure beach, we expect to find some strange items when clearing
out the unclaimed lost and found. The glass of false teeth is by far the most intriguing item
we've discovered this year, it seems so odd that nobody would notice that they'd lost
them!"
At the First TransPennine Express Lost and Found office, the primary goal is to locate and
return thousands of lost items every year. To do that, staff members develop inquisitive and
investigatory skills, which see each employee becoming a modern-day Sherlock Holmes or
Inspector Clouseau.
For any items whose owners sadly don't come forward after 3 months, First TransPennine
Express ensure their new home is a worthy one by donating small items like umbrellas and
clothing to local charity shops. Cameras, laptops and anything of higher value go into an
internal auction and all proceeds go directly to a nominated charity. Last year alone raised
around £1500 for charity through unclaimed items that would have otherwise remained in
the lonely Lost and Found department.
ENDS
For further information contact the team on 0161 669 4708 or email [email protected]
Notes to Editors:
First TransPennine Express' vision is to provide solutions for an increasingly congested
world… keeping people moving and communities prospering.
First TransPennine Express – run by First Group plc in partnership with Keolis SA – operates
inter-city services on three main routes.
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North TransPennine - including Newcastle to Liverpool via Manchester Victoria,
Middlesbrough to Manchester Airport, Scarborough to Liverpool and Hull to
Manchester Piccadilly
South TransPennine from Cleethorpes via Doncaster and Sheffield to Manchester
Airport
North West and Scotland – from Windermere, Barrow in Furness and Blackpool
North via Preston and Bolton to Manchester Airport; Edinburgh, Glasgow, Carlisle,
Penrith and Oxenholme to Manchester Airport
Destinations served by First TransPennine Express include Newcastle, Middlesbrough,
Darlington, Northallerton, Thirsk, York, Malton, Scarborough, Hull, Selby, Leeds,
Huddersfield, Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Meadowhall, Doncaster, Sheffield,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Carlisle, Barrow in Furness, Blackpool, Lancaster, Preston, Bolton,
Manchester, Manchester Airport, Warrington and Liverpool.