If you are a taxi driver and a passenger loses an item in your vehicle, you need to return the property to the passenger. However, there are some occasions when you may need to hand an item into Avon and Somerset Police.
Use this page to find out what you need to do with different types of lost property.
Wallets, purses and handbags
If a passenger leaves a wallet, purse or similar in your vehicle which includes identification, such as a driver's licence or bank card, you should attempt to contact the passenger to return this.
You can do this by:
- writing a letter
- visiting their address
If you do not receive a response within four weeks, you should hand in a driver's licence to the DVLA and cut up and dispose of any bank cards or loyalty cards.
Cash under £500
If you find cash under £500, you do not need to hand this to the Police. However, you need to try and contact the relevant passenger.
If the cash is in a wallet, purse or similar that includes their identification, you should attempt to contact the passenger to return the money.
If the owner of the cash contacts you, you must return the money to them.
Cash over £500
If you find cash over £500, you need to hand this into the Police.
If the Police do not have a concern regarding criminal activity around the money, you can collect the money after four weeks.
Phones, laptops and similar devices
If you find any items that can store and hold data, you need to hand these into the Police. These include:
- Phones
- Laptops
- iPads and tablets
- Smartwatches
You could make a post on social media that includes information about the item, including where you handed it in, to help the owner find it.
The Police will retain any devices that you hand in for four weeks.
Other items
If you find any of the following items, you must hand them over to the Police:
- Drugs
- Firearms
- Chemicals
- Items suspected of being involved in a crime
Items not accepted by the Police
The Police will not accept any of the following items:
- Animals
- Bicycles
- Cases
- Clothing
- Empty handbags, wallets and purses
- Glasses (spectacles)
- Jewellery
- Keys
- Rubbish and waste
- Umbrellas
- Watches