Detectives have been left stumped after honest villagers repeatedly handed in cash bundles of £2,000 found on their streets.
Locals in Blackhall Colliery in County Durham have spotted 12 cash bundles, which are always obvious to see, over the past five years.
The unusual discoveries started in 2014 and there have been four this year, with the latest find taking place on Monday morning.
Locals in Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, have handed in 12 cash bundles of £2000 over the past five years. Pictured is Detective Constable John Forster with one of the finds
The money is almost always comprised of £2,000, found in a bundle of £20 notes and left in plain sight, although in different locations in the village.
The motive for leaving the money is unknown, with some speculation that it could be a generous Good Samaritan.
Detective Constable John Forster, of Peterlee CID, said the team had interviewed numerous people and organisations in the village about the notes.
The force has also carried out checks with the bank and post office and even tested for fingerprints, but the circumstances surrounding the money remain a mystery.
He said: ‘These bundles are always left in plain sight such as on pavements and discovered by random members of the public who have handed them in.
‘This is the fourth bundle handed in this year. This could be the work of a Good Samaritan.
‘We would like to thank the residents who have shown incredible community spirit by handing the money in.
‘The circumstances remain a mystery so we would welcome any information that will help us get to the bottom of these random incidents.’
Police praised the villagers for handing in the money, saying they have shown ‘incredible community spirit’ (file picture of Blackhall Colliery)
DC Forster revealed that after a period of time if no one claims the money, it will be given back to the person who handed it in.
He said: ‘The people who came to us with the money have benefited from their honesty because none of the money had ever been claimed so it it has been paid back to the people who found it.
‘A lot of people didn’t realise this. Not one person who came forwards did so with any intention to gain from it, they acted out of public spiritedness and honesty.
DC Forster revealed that if no one claims the money, it will be given back to the person who handed it in to the police
‘We’ve explored all the theories we can think of connected to criminality, such as money laundering, but we’re satisfied there is no connection at all in any of these finds.
‘It says a lot about this community that so many people came forward and now they’re better off for having done so.’
Retired construction manager Paul Hunter, 71, said: ‘There have been rumours about this for quite a while, it’s a real mystery why this is happening.
‘I was in the club the other week and there was someone talking about how an envelope stuffed with cash had been found lying on the streets near the park.
‘It seemed far fetched but now the police have confirmed it’s actually happening and has been for years.
‘I’m just wondering whether this is somebody with a connection to the place who wants to give something back to the community, it’s seen some hard times over the years.’
Bob Turnbull, 70, worked at Blackhall pit for 10 years until his career was cut short by an accident underground.
He said: ‘I think it says a lot for the village that people are handing this money in, there are a lot of people who could use £2,000.
‘You have to wonder if there have been a few bundles that haven’t made it to the police but we’ll never know the answer to that.
Sandra Pilkington, 67, said the money bundles are a complete ‘mystery’ in the village
‘We lost the sense of community we used to have when the pit was open, that’s long gone but it says a hell of a lot for the people here that so much of that money has been handed over to the police.’
Lorraine Hill, 43, who has lived in the village all her life said: ‘I didn’t know anything about this until last night, now I’m fascinated by the whole thing.
‘It really is a mystery. I think it’s a Good Samaritan. I like to think I see the good in people, I’m assuming someone is doing it for the good of the people here.’
Jean Dean, 59, the owner of Blondie’s diner, said: ‘I think it is somebody with plenty of money willing to give it away.
‘The village is very honest, the community always comes together.’
Jean Dean, 59, said the village is very honest and always comes together – adding that she was surprised to hear about the packages of money and even thought it might be a ‘joke’
While Sandra Pilkington, 67, a grandmother and resident, added: ‘It is a mystery. If it’s a person who has too much money why don’t they donate it to different charities?
‘It could be someone who has dementia and keeps leaving it. It really is a mystery.’
DC Forster declined to give the locations where the money was found but it was all left in and around the old colliery houses that lead off the villages main street.
He said that he’s hoping the money is coming from a ‘purposeful benefactor who is showing some kindness towards the village.’
‘I would rather that than someone who is vulnerable in some way or that it was connected to criminality.
Lorraine Hill, 43, who has lived in the village all her life said: ‘I didn’t know anything about this until last night, now I’m fascinated by the whole thing’
‘We’ve even had the theory that it could be a lottery winner who has decided to pay something back to their local community, but the truth is we don’t know.
‘I hope that by going public with this that we get some answers, rather than whoever is behind this suddenly going quiet.
‘I really don’t think this is connected to criminality because people in that game are very careful with their money they can account for every penny in my experience.
‘There’s no pattern in terms of the times or days or the time of year the money had been found, it’s been random.
‘The only time we saw any kind of consistency was when two bundles were found during summer months on consecutive days, but then afterwards it went quiet for quite a while.’
He joked: ‘There seems to be a lot more people around the village today, I wonder why that could be?’
If you have any information call 101 and ask to speak to DC Forster of Durham Constabulary.