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Lost Property
Cash Helps Tunbridge Wells Cancer Centre
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Cash
raised by Kent Police from the sale of unclaimed lost property has
been handed to a charity drop-in cancer centre in Tunbridge Wells.
Tunbridge
Wells Chief Inspector Dave Pate, along with retired Detective Chief
Inspector John Delieu, attended the Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre
in Monson Road in October to hand over a cheque for £500.
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The
cash will go towards helping the centre, run entirely by volunteers,
renovate and expand.
Mr Delieu, who retired as a serving officer in 2004 but now works
in Kent Police’s firearms licensing department, said: ‘Every
year we raise a considerable amount of money for charity by auctioning
off unclaimed lost property. Kent Police staff and officers are
then able to suggest good causes which should benefit and, as my
wife volunteers at the centre in Tunbridge Wells and they do such
a good job, I had to put them forward.
‘People who have
cancer experience ups and downs, just like it is portrayed on TV,
and the centre is wonderful in providing massages, counselling or
just somewhere to go for a cup of tea and a chat.’ Picking
Centre volunteer Polly Taylor said: ‘It costs us £45,000
a year to run the centre so we rely on fundraising and donations
like this. All the services we offer are free to all and compliment
the medical care people get in hospital. ‘
Chief Insp Pate said:
‘Kent Police is delighted to be able to help causes such as
this. I was really impressed with the volunteers at the centre and
the inspiring work they do to help the community.’
The most common lost
property items handed in at police station front counters in Kent
are small electronics such as tablet computers, cameras, smartphones
and e-Readers which have often been found in parks or car parks.
Keys, purses and wallets, passports and other identification are
often found in town centres on weekends.
More unusual items handed
in at Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Police Stations recently include
umbrellas, clothing, number plates and a bag of golf clubs. Dozens
of items are successfully reunited with their rightful owners in
West Kent each week, with only those where an owner cannot be identified
being handed to a third party for auction.
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