Lost wallet is returned... with £500 still in it!

And losing it when it’s stuffed with your £500 winnings from a day at the races in Ascot – that’s even worse.

But Michael Ellwood from Warblington was handed a rare slice of luck on Monday, when his wallet was returned to him – money still in place – by the hands of an 18-year-old stranger.

The 54-year-old had enjoyed a successful day at the racecourse with his son Adam when after getting off the train at Havant, he experienced the sinking feeling while fumbling in his pockets.

After a day of phone calls trying to track down the wallet, he received a mysterious phone call at his Portchester business Speltham Contracts Ltd on Monday.

Jordan Claxton, from Frimley in Surrey, had tracked down Michael after picking up the wallet in Guildford.

Michael said: ‘I was in complete shock about it.

‘We got the call and someone said to me “This guy’s got your wallet!”.

‘I was just gobsmacked and Jordan was so happy, he seemed more excited to have tracked me down than I was about finding out someone had found it!’

Jordan spotted the wallet on his train home and after seeing how much money was in it, set out to track down Michael.

Michael said: ‘He told me that it was too much money to trust to someone else and that he wanted to find me in person.’

Jordan also fell asleep on the train, missing his stop, so he walked home in the rain on Saturday, declining to use the money in the wallet.

Michael travelled up to Frimley, Surrey on Monday where he had the chance to meet Jordan and thank him for his gesture.

He added: ‘It was amazing that a young lad like him took the time to track me down.

‘He shows that there are some very honourable lads out there.’