Thousands in cash handed in to police - would you?

Constable Gail Shepherd holds some of the cash handed in to Whangarei police after it was found in a wallet by an honest member of the public in the central city.

What would you do if you found a wallet lying on the ground containing thousands of dollars.

An 80-year-old Whangarei man handed it into police. The Northern Advocate reported the good deed this week, after police have been unable to connect the cash with the rightful owner.

It is a significant amount of money - we can't say how much for obvious reasons. And we're not going to tell you what the wallet looks like, for obvious reasons.

Was it a Lions supporter, who dropped it during a recent visit to Whangarei, and has claimed insurance and moved on? Apparently this has been ruled out.

Or someone who had made a withdrawal that day, to purchase a car, or another big ticket item?

A cheeky comment on the Northern Advocate facebook page suggested it was a drug dealer who had dropped it. It was nice to see someone retort pretty quickly that thousands of dollars in cash didn't necessarily equal drugs.

We asked our Facebook audience "would you keep the money?".

One person was honest enough to say they would use some of the money to buy themselves a pair of shoes, and then hand the remainder in. Many said they would hand it in, tempting as it was to keep it.

The thought of what people would like to happen, if it was them who lost the money, was foremost in many people's minds.

The potential owner could be elderly, and there are other scenarios that have been considered. Does the person have dementia, or an illness that affects their short-term memory?

It is not the first time a large sum of money has been handed over to Whangarei police.

In 2010, $3500 cash in a bank envelope was left at a Countdown/Woolworths checkout in Whangarei.

A staff member took the money to the police station. It was returned to a grateful yachtie.

Here's hoping the latest find sails its way back to its rightful owner, and if no one claims it, who would begrudge it going to the 80-year-old finder?