Family members accidentally bin £20,000 life-savings hidden in tins of Bisto

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Family members accidentally bin £20,000 life-savings hidden in tins of Bisto
Family members accidentally bin £20,000 life-savings hidden in tins of Bisto

Most of us save our cash in the bank, perhaps leaving a few quid in the cupboards for an emergency.

But one woman decided to get creative with her entire life-savings, worth a whopping £20,000, and had secretly been storing the cash in five tins of Bisto. The unusual-looking ISA alternative was all-gravy, until family members accidentally binned the tins, thinking they were all empty.

Relatives were cleaning the woman's home and were completely unaware that each Bisto tin was worth £4,000. The mum was left devastated after realising that all of her savings had gone on a trip to the tip.

However, determined recycling workers came to the rescue after searching through refuse for two hours. Kenny McAdam and Tony Scanlon, who trawled through piles of rubbish at Dalmoak Recycling Centre in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, told Daily Record back in 2020 just how relieved the pensioner was.

Kenny said at the time: "It's amazing. It's a great feeling. When I think about it, it makes you think about your own wee granny and how you would feel if it was her. It's really satisfying. Her daughter was standing crying.

Savvy woman fed herself for less than £1 per day using items from Tesco eiqekidquixhinvSavvy woman fed herself for less than £1 per day using items from Tesco
Family members accidentally bin £20,000 life-savings hidden in tins of BistoThe recycling centre workers were praised for their actions (Lennox Herald)

"She said, 'You have just saved my life'. She must have thought she was never going to get it back. They stood and watched what we were doing. About two hours later, we found them."

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And Tony, who with Kenny has in the past pulled wedding and bridesmaid dresses from skips, said: "I was in the digger and we were trying to feel the weight of the bags. I found one of the tins then Kenny came across the other four of them. What a feeling.

"They said it was a lot of money and we told them, 'We'll do our very best – if we can find it, we will'. Those are the best ever moments." The council dump in Renton, Dunbartonshire, is a busy facility serving a large area west of Glasgow.

The staff there were praised for their work. A West Dunbartonshire Council spokeswoman said: "Kenny and Tony went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure these residents were reunited with their property. We're really proud of them."

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Lorraine Weir

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