Hundreds of pieces of clothing, bus passes and wallets lost on First Wessex buses last year will go to help the animals.

The bus operator has revealed the number of items which were lost by passengers over the past 12 months with 70 per cent of items left unclaimed.

And it says it will be donating the unclaimed lost property items to Margaret Green Animal Rescue along with £500.

After an item is found on a bus, drivers look after it and hand it over when they arrive at the bus depot, where it is logged on a database and placed in a secure storage for at least one month, giving time for owners to claim and retrieve lost items. Food and other perishable goods are thrown away. Although the regulations governing lost property entitles a bus operator to charge a fee for handling lost property, First Wessex has never done so.

Items that are not collected within the statutory holding period are handed to Margaret Green Animal Rescue, which sells them through its charity shops in Dorset or recycle them.

Carol Sim, Operations Manager for First Wessex said: “Margaret Green Animal Rescue do an amazing job caring for the animals and we are pleased to have found a way to help this charity raise funds in this way and we feel like we are helping to rehome lost property for a great cause”.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue’s Geoff Wright, Chief Executive said: “There are so many ways that people can help us care for around 1,200 animals a year, and receiving these donated items from unclaimed lost property from First Wessex is a great way for us to raise much needed funds.”

Over the past 12 months, First Wessex drivers found some 850 items on First Wessex buses, including many items of clothing, sports bags and homework, glasses, umbrellas, keys, phones and wallets. Only a selection of items have a resale value and will find their ways onto the shelves and clothes racks of the shops.

Carol Sim said: “We are keen to return lost property to its rightful owner, which after all are our customers, and we don’t charged for this service. Unfortunately, of the around 850 items left on our vehicles last year only around 250 items were returned to their rightful owner, which leaves around 600 items that went unclaimed. Donating many of those to Margaret Green Animal Rescue is one way for those items to hopefully find a new home and support the animal charity in the process.

To report missing items, customers should contact 01305 783645 between 10am and 4pm, Mondays to Fridays or fill in the online form on the First Wessex website.