A couple accidentally threw away £15,000 in cash at a rubbish tip. The pair threw out some boxes to be recycled without realising their valuable contents.
Workers who were looking for an electrical cable found the box with the money inside and alerted Avon and Somerset Police.
Officers managed to track down the people who had left the boxes at the recycling centre by identifying the car that had dropped them off and finding their address, Somerset Live reports.
They were able to reunite the couple with their money in time for Christmas .
When police went to speak to them, the couple said they had been in the Bath area helping clear the house of a recently-deceased relative when the boxes had been dropped off.
If you're having a spring clean:
When they went to the police station, it was agreed their account matched the property found.
They said the relative had been known to hide money in strange places around the house.
The money was returned to the couple and police paid tribute to the staff that had found the cash and assisted in tracking down its owners.
Avon and Somerset Police said on Facebook : "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.
"Happy New Year everyone, from all of us at Avon and Somerset Police."
The incident happened at the Recycle for Bathnes depot in Midsomer Norton.
