London Northeastern Railway's lost property department is an ‘Aladdin's cave' of unbelievable items that have been mislaid on the company's trains; Maurice Green is the saviour who reunites customers with their valuables.
Maurice is a former engineer who is often a lifesaver, sometimes even delivering them personally. During the six years, thousands of items found or left behind on trains have been entrusted to Maurice's care.
Mobile phones and laptops are among the most common items discovered on trains, but the range includes lifebuoys to hoovers and ironing boards to wheelchairs.
Maurice Green is the master of them all, safely cataloguing and storing the lost items waiting for the owners to reclaim them.
Some of the items recovered that people would expect to notice missing include a bright orange lifebuoy, an enormous life-sized cuddly toy, a pram complete with baby food, walkers, wheelchairs and an electric bicycle.
With nearly 100 items arriving from a single station in one afternoon, Maurice is certainly kept busy. Some of the most memorable items that he has encountered or reunited with their owners are:
- A signed picture of Steven Gerrard taken at the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul.
- A mobile disco, complete with a set of DJ mixing decks.
- A Louis Vuitton purse that held huge sentimental value for its owner; Maurice recalls that reuniting it with its distraught owner was one of the most special moments of his career.
- Many children's cuddly toys and baby comforters.
- A Dyson vacuum cleaner.
Customers can report and search for their property online, with tips and advice on how to track down items available on the London Northeastern Railway website by clicking here.
Auctioned for charity
After items have remained unclaimed for some time, they are sent to auction. The proceeds are donated to London Northeastern Railway's partner charity CALM and a local charity that supports bereaved children.
Maurice said: “I'm proud that in the last year alone we helped to raise £20,000 for CALM. It's good to know that the money from the sale of unclaimed or unwanted items is put to good use, helping people and making a difference.
Maurice explained that no two days are the same: “Even though I've been doing this job for a while, I'm often amazed by just what is left behind or lost on our trains or in our stations. We work hard to return as many items as possible, both large and small, from luggage to the more unusual items we come across, such as a prosthetic leg. Many customers are really grateful to be reunited with their belongings and we're delighted to be able to help.
“I love working on the railways and the last twelve years at LNER have been the best years of my life. I'm always happy to help and I do my best to look after people and deliver great customer service every day.”
