Long, strange trip: The wildest items left behind on buses — from a fridge to canoes

These are some of the strangest items left behind on buses last year — from a canoe and a shoulder massager to a fridge and a set of false teeth.

Brighton & Hove Buses, which operates across Sussex, Surrey, and Kent, has revealed which possessions passengers left onboard their buses in 2024 – and some are far from what you might expect.

While most of the 13,000 forgotten items were wallets, keys, glasses, and phones, the lost property team also came across a canoe, a wardrobe, and even an entire fridge.

Other “surprisingly large items” found onboard the company’s buses included a tent, a microwave, a grass trimmer, a pool cue, and an electric oven.

Meanwhile, smaller but equally unusual items included a set of false teeth, a frying pan, a shoulder massager, a stethoscope, a canvas depicting ‘The Ten Commandments’, a box of hairnets, a rude drawing, and a purple dumbbell.

There was also a gold purse containing a single Pokémon card, a brass rabbit encrusted with gems, a phone charging panda, and an urn containing ashes.

When it came to the more commonly left behind items, teams found 475 umbrellas, 428 jackets, and 391 rucksacks.

A whopping 64 people left their passports behind – and 78 people forgot their walking sticks.

When it came to kids’ items, Spiderman featured on 32 items, while Mickey Mouse was found on 18 and Hello Kitty on 13.

Meanwhile, honest passengers handed in a total of £9,000 in cash over the year – most of which was returned to its original owner, according to the bus company.

Any items which do not get claimed are donated to local charities such as Rockinghorse Appeal, Dogs Trust, and Alzheimer’s Society.

If you have left an item behind on one of the company’s buses, please get in touch with the customer service team.

Items are kept for one month before they are donated.

The most common items found on buses, in order of popularity, were:

1. Wallets/purses – 1273
2. Keys – 1205
3. Glasses – 1203
4. Phones – 680
5. Hats – 585
6. Umbrellas – 475
7. Bottles/flasks – 467
8. Jackets – 428
9. Rucksacks – 391
10. Books – 347
11. Beanies – 331
12. Caps – 322
13. Headphones – 235
14. Scarves/shawls – 234
15. Sunglasses – 224
16. Cables/charges – 206
17. Hoodies/jumpers – 199
18. Handbags – 135
19. Walking sticks – 78
20. Soft toys – 71