OAP Loses £80k After Leaving It On Car Roof

"A pensioner who does not trust banks claims to have lost his life savings of £80,000 - by leaving it on the roof of his car and driving off.

The man from Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend, put a bag containing the cash on top of the vehicle as he was moving the money to his place of work.

As soon as he realised what had happened he began a search with his grandson but they could find only the bags the notes had been in.

The 68-year-old, who does not want to be named, is said to have saved £2,000 every year during his working life and kept the money under a bed while he had a guard dog.
When the dog died he kept the money close by him.

The man would take the money from his bedroom and put it in the car when he went to work.
"My car is never more than 10ft from me at work so I can keep an eye on it," he told Mail Online.

"That morning I left at about 6.20am and didn't realise I had lost it until noon.
"I went home and checked my bedroom in case I had left it there."

The man has offered a reward for the return of the cash.

Essex Police confirmed they are investigating a possible theft after a man contacted them on Friday, November 19, "reporting he had lost £80,000 in cash".

"He told police he had accidentally left the money on the top of his car before driving off on the morning of Thursday, November 18 at 6.20am," said a spokeswoman. "He later realised what he had done."
The man said the money was in an orange plastic bag inside a blue pull-string bag.

Some evidence found at the scene will be inspected for fingerprints and officers have checked local CCTV cameras.

Anyone who may have found the money is asked to hand it to their local police station or risk being accused of 'theft by finding', the spokeswoman added."