Elderly Chichester man speaks of shock after lost wallet is returned - 'It just shows that there are honest people in this world'

Having lost more than £100 in cash and various bank cards, he had assumed that, if it was found, it would not be returned.

That wasn't the case through, as an honest member of the public, who came across the wallet, handed it in to local police officer Tom Van Der Wee.

Tom said: "Yesterday whilst I was out on patrol a member of the public approached me and handed me a wallet along with some other personal items that he’d found in a nearby car park.

"The wallet contained over £100 in cash and various bank cards. After making a few enquiries I was able to make contact with the owner and arranged to return it to him. He was incredibly shocked that someone handed in his wallet, let alone that it still contained all of his cash and bank cards and was over the moon to have it back."

Peter, 83, said it was 'unbelievable' when the wallet was returned.

"It just shows that there are honest people in this world," he said.

"I thought it was gone.It was lost and never thought I would get it back.

"I got the call right before I was going to cancel all my cards. It was very unexpected. It's marvellous. It was a bad experience which quickly turned into a good one.

"I wanted to give the honest man some money but he wouldn't let me. He told me instead to give some to charity, so I gave some to the Alzheimer's Society."

Tom said it was 'rewarding' to be able to reunite the wallet and other personal items with its rightful owner.

He added: "Although the vast majority of the public are honest and law abiding, as a police officer I often have to deal with some of the worst types of behaviour so it was incredibly refreshing to meet such an honest member of the public."

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