A worker at a recycling centre has been commended after he found €1,500 in cash belonging to an elderly woman that had been thrown in a skip.
Earlier this week, Costica Nedelcu, a Romanian national, was working at Panda’s recycling centre when he found €1,500 hidden in an old shoe.
The money belonged to a women with Alzheimer’s who had hidden cash around her home for safekeeping.
When her daughter arranged for a skip to clean out her mother’s home, she unwittingly threw out the old pair of shoes which her mother had used as a hiding place for cash.
Mr Nedelcu reported the find to his manager, and the company managed to track down the rightful owner and return her cash.
Speaking on behalf of Mr Nedelcu, not a native speaker of English, Panda spokesman Paul O’Doherty said: “It was a very honest thing to do.
‘We commend him’
“Costica is a really decent hard-working guy and we commend him for having the professionalism to tell us about the find,” he said.
Mr O’Doherty said a similar incident had occurred in recent months. “It’s the second time something like this has happened with Panda.
“Six months ago, the children of an elderly person who had passed away were clearing out the parents’ home. One of the workers spotted a sum of money when the skip was tipped over and alerted us,” he said.
The daughter of the woman in the latest case, who asked not to be named, said she had no idea she had thrown her mother’s cash out until she was contacted by the company.
‘Big relief’
“It’s a big relief and pleasant surprise to get my mother’s money back,” she said.
Eamon Timmins of Age Action warned carers for elderly people to be vigilant. “When discarding of possessions on behalf of older people, we advise carers to be aware that valuables can be hidden in unexpected places, so furniture or other unwanted items should be double-checked before being placed into skips.”
Panda chief executive Brian McCabe said: “We were very happy that we could return lost money to our customer.
“We will continue to be vigilant and will make every effort to ensure that cash accidentally thrown into skips or bins is returned to its rightful owner.”