EAGLE-eyed bin men stopped a Felixstowe pensioner's life savings from being thrown into their truck and being lost forever - after spotting a handbag among her rubbish.

EAGLE-eyed bin men stopped a Felixstowe pensioner's life savings from being thrown into their truck and being lost forever - after spotting a handbag among her rubbish.

Thanks to the refuse team, the woman was traced and reunited with the money, which she didn't even know was missing.

The 84-year-old was in the middle of packing up to move home on the same day as her rubbish was due to be collected and accidentally put her handbag out alongside her black sack.

She later wrote to Suffolk Coastal to thank the refuse collectors.

“How can I thank you enough for returning the life savings of an old lady,” said the woman, who has asked not to be named.

“As I was moving the next day, you can imagine my relief at its safe return.

“The bag contained everything I own. Fortunately I hadn't even realised I had lost it, and certainly would not have know where, so at least I was saved the worry of wondering what I had done with it. My Lord was certainly watching over me!”

Cabinet member Andrew Nunn said the woman lived at a block of flats, so her black sack was one of many left for collection in the communal area.

“Thankfully, when one of our team loaded the sacks into the back of our refuse freighter a set of keys fell out of the handbag which made him look more carefully and realise that something was not quite right,” said Mr Nunn.

“A quick look inside the handbag revealed that it contained a considerable sum of money and other personal items.

“However, because this was a communal rubbish area with sacks from a number of properties, it was not instantly obvious to whom the handbag belonged.

“The handbag was taken back to Suffolk Coastal Service's depot at Ufford, where one of the managers searched the bag properly, found some personal identification and was able to track down the owner.

“Steve Green, the SCS waste services manager, then drove to Felixstowe to personally reunite the woman with her handbag. I am so pleased that thanks to the vigilance of our SCS workers, this woman was spared all the stress that could have occurred.”

The woman also thanked the refuse collection team when they visited her new home to collect her rubbish.

Do you know the woman? Contact our Felixstowe newsdesk on 01394 284109?