Video: Council worker hands in £1,000 cash found on street in Welling (From News Shopper)

Video: Council worker hands in £1,000 cash found on street in Welling

5:05pm Tuesday 12th February 2013 in Bexley By Tim MacFarlan, Bexley and north Kent reporter

A BANK customer in Welling must have feared the worst when he dropped £1,000 in the street on Friday (February 8).

But the mystery man need not have worried after a beady-eyed council worker spotted the envelope stuffed with £20 notes and later handed it in to the Lloyds TSB branch in Bellegrove Road.

Andrew Jones, 39, was returning to his car after checking out a suspect paving slab when he spied the dosh lying on the pavement in Upper Wickham Lane at the junction with Lynmere Road.

The Bexley Council assistant area manager for public realm management knew there was no way he could just pocket the wonga.

He said: "It was blatantly obvious it was a considerable amount of money.

"I took it back to our offices in Foots Cray just to check with my line manager where to take it rather than keep it."

Having handed it in to the branch manager at around 3pm it took only 20 minutes for the father-of-one to get a call back from the money’s owner, known only as Gary.

Mr Jones said: "He was just astounded there were people like me who would actually hand money in – especially a considerable amount of money – and he was very grateful I had done such a thing.

"I immediately thought ‘how would I feel if I had lost £1,000?’ "If someone had found that much money of mine I would hope that they would do the same."

While Mr Jones’ wife Helen was supportive when he told her the story back home in Fairview Gardens, Meopham, the couple’s six-year-old son Isaac was less so.

The Wolverhampton native said: "He didn’t quite understand the concept.

"At six years old you’d rather have the money, wouldn’t you?"

Are you ‘Gary’ or do you know who he is? Call 01689 885702, e-mail tim.macfarlan@newsquest.co.uk or tweet @NewsShopperTim