Lincolnshire Police are investigating after around £60,000 was discovered floating in a Spalding river.
The cash was spotted floating in the South Drove Drain by a member of the public walking their dog on Friday, October 25.
The money was retrieved from the river by officers, whose initial count estimated the cash to be in the region of sixty thousand pounds. Police are intending to consult with the Bank of England for assistance with a formal inspection of the money and a final accurate count.
A large amount of the money has been damaged due to being in the water but officers say there is a “good quantity” of bank notes that appear to be in fair condition.
Police are considering detailed forensic examination of the money and have been granted a seizure order by the Magistrates Court to carry out an investigation into its origins.
DC Steve Hull, of Spalding CID, said: ‘It isn’t everyday that an amount of money like this is found and somebody must have information that will help the Police trace the lawful owner. I would be grateful to hear from people who have genuine information to pass on to me”.
The money will remain with the Police until the investigation is complete. If IT cannot be reunited with a legitimate owner then it will become the subject of a further court forfeiture order.
If you have information that you feel will help Lincolnshire Police, you can contact them on 101, quoting incident number 154 of 25/10/13. The Police wish to remind the public that evidence of ownership will be required if the owner wishes to come forward.