From prosthetic legs to hamsters - here are some of the bizarre items left on Northern trains

A prosthetic leg, a hamster without a cage and a wig are just some of the things customers have left behind on Northern rail services.

The train operator said it has recorded more than 32,690 cases of lost property since July 2022 and the most common items to be left behind are phones and laptops.

Northern is now appealing to customers to check they have all their personal belongings with them before leaving the train.

Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly stations are lost property hotspots, but forgotten items are also regularly found at stations and on services across Northern’s network.

Passengers boarding a Northern train.placeholder image
Passengers boarding a Northern train.

Some of the other belongings which have been left behind include a cupboard, crutches, an ironing board and a 10kg box of chicken breasts.

One customer left their bike on the train while they still wearing a helmet and another contacted Northern to try to track down a plain white handkerchief.

Alex Hornby, commercial and customer director, said: “We understand that losing something can be extremely stressful so we often remind customers to make sure they have all of their personal belongings before leaving the train.

“Unattended bags our trains and at our stations can also prompt security alerts which cause delays and disruption.

“When a passenger comes forward to report lost property our staff work hard to track down that item and reunite them – but it’s no mean feat."

Visit northernrailway.co.uk/travel/lost-property for more information about what to do if you leave something behind on a Northern train.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.

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