South Western Railway has revealed that a giant inflatable shark is among thousands of items that it has accumulated in its lost property in its first six weeks of operation.

An ironing board, leather lounge chair, pirate flag and a pair of false teeth are among the other curious articles abandoned.

South Western Railway (SWR), which took over the running of the south west franchise on August 20, has moved to remind passengers to check their possessions before leaving the train.

Michael Pugh in the lost property department

Michael Pugh, customer experience manager at London Waterloo station, said: “Our staff from across the network work hard to ensure passengers are reunited with their belongings.

"However, we would encourage everyone to check they have their belongings before they leave our trains.

"Keys, phones and wallets are always such a pain to lose but it’s the sentimental items that really cause problems for passengers.”

SWR revealed that the most common items left on trains include:

  • Umbrellas.
  • Coats.
  • Wallets and purses.
  • Keys.
  • Railcards.
  • Glasses.
  • Phones.
  • Laptops.
Lost property jackets at London Waterloo

The operator said that anything lost and found at stations, including items left on other train companies’ services, is sent to an office in London Waterloo.

Anyone who has lost an item can use the online enquiry form here .

SWR will only contact you if it finds a possible match.

Alternatively, people can call the lost property office on 020 7401 7861 (open Monday to Friday 7.30am to 7pm).

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