There’s no such thing as ‘finders keepers’, say police

Woman is taken to court after picking up a £20 note from the floor of a shop

THERE is no such thing as “finders keepers”, police have warned, after they prosecuted a woman who pocketed £20 she found lying on a shop floor.

Nicole Bailey did not imagine she was breaking the law when she picked up the cash she had found on the floor. But the 23-year-old ended up in court after CCTV cameras caught her picking up the note, which had been dropped by another customer.

Now police have warned people to discard the old adage “finders keepers”, saying it is a crime to keep money or goods someone else has lost.

Magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the cash had been withdrawn shortly beforehand by a man at the One Stop store in Blurton, Stokeon-Trent.

He told staff when he realised he had lost the money, but the £20 was nowhere to be seen.

Prosecutor Ruth Bentley told the court: “Staff checked the CCTV which showed a female pick up the £20 note from a display in the store.

“The manager recognised the woman, who was a regular customer.”

It is understood Bailey had picked up the note just seconds after it had been dropped by the man.

The court heard police were called in and Bailey, who lives locally, attended a voluntary interview. She initially denied taking the money, but admitted it when she was shown the CCTV footage.

Bailey, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to theft. She was given a six-month conditional discharge, which means she will face no punishment if she stays out of trouble for six months. She must pay £175 in court costs and charges.

Speaking in her defence, Simon Dykes said: “She didn’t know who the money belonged to. People don’t realise picking up something you have found amounts to a theft. She has been quite naive in doing so.”

Mr Dykes added the matter ought to have been dealt with by a police caution.

It is estimated it would have cost more than £100 to prosecute Bailey. On its website the Crown Prosecution Service provides guidance on the average level of costs it incurs in various types of proceedings, and suggests the cost of a Magistrates’ Court appearance for a guilty plea is £130-160.

Staffordshire Police Chief Inspector Karen Stevenson said the definition of theft was “the dishonest appropriation of property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it”.

She said: “We would actively encourage any member of the public who picks up money that has been dropped to be honest and do the right thing by taking all reasonable steps to try and find the owner.”

Staffordshire Police said that while police forces did not offer a finder’s fee, members of the public who hand in money they find may be able to keep it for themselves if it is not claimed within a matter of weeks.