News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

An elderly man gave boots to charity and accidentally left £980 in cash inside that he planned to give to his family for Christmas.

Hospiscare boss Jackie Hulin, of Topsham, Devon, used the man’s gift aid details to trace him and return it.

She said: “He was so grateful to get it back that he gave Hospiscare £100.”

The £980 was still in wads with bands around them after an elderly man had collected them from the bank to give to his family at Christmas.

He stored the money in the boots then forgot and donated them to the Hospiscare shop in Topsham, near Exeter, Devon.

Jackie said: "I put them to one side and it was only when I was about to leave the shop to lock up that I noticed a £20 note sticking out of a boot.

"I had a closer look and counted £980 and fortunately because of his gift aid details I could phone him immediately.

"He always gives his family money every Christmas and he knew he had lost the gift cards, which he had intended to put the money in, but had not realised the cash was missing.

"It was fortunate he had gift aided his donation otherwise we would have struggled to trace him."

The donation is not the first - or biggest - special cash windfall it has received this year.

It celebrated after an earlier Christmas present was left outside its shop in Cowick Street - £3,540 in cash.

Police handed over the cash earlier this month after it was found in two bags outside the shop, with the identity of the donor a mystery.

No-one came forward to claim the cash and police were satisfied it was a donation.