A shopper who accidentally left £150 in a cash machine is trying to trace the kind stranger who waited in the cold to hand it back.

Grant Somerville, 23, went to an ATM in Buchanan Street, Glasgow, to take money out to pay for his mum’s birthday present. But he dashed off, accidentally leaving the money behind and only realised his mistake about half an hour later. His 24-year-old pal hurried back to the cash machine for him, while Grant waited with his car.

When he got there, he was astonished to discover a “wee elderly lady” still standing there with the cash. She asked him if he’d lost something and when she established the missing money belonged to his chum, handed over the money.

Now Grant, a club promoter of Motherwell, Lanarkshire, wants to thank the kindly pensioner.

“Not many people would do that,” he said in a post on Facebook. “Hat’s off to the wee belter. It was for my mammy’s birthday present as well!”

Grant had been out shopping with his friend trying to find the perfect gift for mum Elaine, 55. He spotted a designer Jimmy Choo handbag and went to the cash machine to withdraw enough money to pay for it. But while chatting he absentmindedly left the cash hanging out of the machine.

“We were just having a laugh and I suppose I wasn’t concentrating,” Grant said. “I only realised when I had driven off. I parked up the car and my mate ran off back to the cash machine. He ran back laughing, handed me the money and said ‘lucky boy’. I never even got to see the lady who gave him it back.” He added: “I only wish I knew who she was so I could thank her personally.”

Friends have posted messages on Grant’s Facebook page praising the mystery pensioner.

One pal, Anthony McDowall, said: “Well played by both parties I say . . . Faith in humanity restored.”

Are you the kind stranger who looked after Grant’s money? If you are or know who the stranger is please contact The Sunday Post on 0141 567 2812.

What would you do? Find out what happened when our reporter ‘accidentally’ left behind £10 notes at ATMs in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle.