Inside London's Lost Property Office: From Phones to Pufferfish

Transport for London's Lost Property Office

• 🏢 This is the lost property office for Transport for London, receiving items lost on their various transport systems.
• 🚆 Items come from the London Overground, Underground, Elizabeth Line, Cross Rail, and black taxi cabs.

Item Processing and Returns

• 📥 Lost items are ideally handed in and then inputted into a system with detailed information.
• 🔍 The goal is to match items with their owners and facilitate returns when inquiries are made.

Volume and Variety of Lost Items

• 📈 Approximately 5,000 items are lost each week, ranging from umbrellas and mobile phones to money and jewelry.
• 📦 The office handles an incredibly diverse array of items that pass through its doors.

Historical and Unusual Finds

• 🕰️ One area stores items kept for over three months, with some dating back as far as World War II.
• 🐡 A notable item is a stuffed pufferfish, which is over 40-45 years old and considered one of the oldest items in the collection.