Sunday 5 June 2011

Transport for London Lost property Office



Our Thanks to The London Transport Museum and Sky News for the Information



TfL is made up of some fascinating departments, with the Lost Property Office being up there as one of the most interesting. To get a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes, and to learn more about what happens when an item is left on London’s Transport, I spent the day making a documentary for the Museum’s collection with film-maker Geoff Marshall. We explored the stores, watched as staff took customer calls and spoke to them about their experience of working in such an unusual environment.
In 2009, the LPO received a whopping 184,969 items of lost property, ranging from single gloves, laptops, umbrellas and school bags, through to toys, glasses and thousands of mobile phones. When we went down this week the store room was packed with items, all clearly labelled and neatly arranged in numbered zones. The staff work very efficiently – we watched as a call came in from the customer point upstairs, requesting an object be sent up for return. It took the staff less than a minute to locate the object and send it up in the goods lift, making for happy customers.
The LPO store also houses some more bizarre objects which have never been re-claimed, including false teeth, a grandfather clock, a stuffed fox and some prosthetic  limbs. There were also single shoes, crutches and walking sticks, which make you wonder how the owners didn’t notice they had left such objects behind!
Staff gave us a run-through of what happens to an item, from it being left on a bus or Tube to its hopeful return to the owner. Items are normally handed in by members of the public to TfL staff, or are found by staff when checking the vehicles during their shifts. These items are logged with the details of where and when it was found, and are then collected by TfL post vans and delivered to the LPO. Here they are checked and logged onto the computer system, and labelled to LPO’s high standards, before being sent down to the store room for safe keeping. Items are kept for 3 months, in which time it’s hoped the owner will have made contact with the office and come to claim it back. If not, the items in good condition are donated to charity or sold to help fund the running of the office. Charities across the world have benefited over the years, with donated items ranging from clothing   for the Salvation Army to sports equipment  for charities in Africa.

What to do if you have Lost an Item

When reporting lost property, please provide a detailed description. Due to the high volume of enquiries, please include any unique characteristics rather than giving a generic description such as 'set of keys' as this will ensure your enquiry has the greatest chance of success. Mobile phone enquiries require either a SIM card number or IMEI number, which can be obtained from your airtime provider.



Bus

Property found on buses or at bus stations may be held locally for a few days before being sent on to TfL's Lost Property Office. Property usually arrives between two and seven days after it was lost.
You can also use the TfL lost property form to find out if your property has been found.

London Underground

Property found on London Underground trains or stations may be held locally for a few days before being sent on to TfL's Lost Property Office, typically arriving between two and seven days after it was lost.
If you have left your property at a specific station within the past two days, you can enquire at the station's ticket office, or use the TfL lost property form.

London Overground

Property found on London Overground trains or stations may be held locally for a few days before being sent on to TfL's Lost Property Office, typically arriving between two and seven days after it was lost.
If you have left your property at a specific station within the past two days, you can enquire at the station's ticket office, or use the TfL lost property form.

Taxi (black cab)

Property found in London taxis (black cabs) is handed in to a police station by the driver before being forwarded to TfL's Lost Property Office. Property can take up to seven days to arrive when sent from police stations.
You can use the TfL lost property form to find out if your property has been found.

Visting the Lost Property Office

Lost property enquiries are searched for a period of 21 days from the submitted date of loss. All enquiries will be responded to whether or not they have been successful. If you follow up on an enquiry, please ensure the operator is aware of your original enquiry.
If you are picking property up for another person, their written authorisation will be required. Personal Identification will be required in all cases of property collection. In line with legislation, charges are made for restoring property to customers.
TfL Lost Property Office
200 Baker Street
London NW1 5RZ
Telephone: 0845 330 9882 (08:30-16:00, Monday-Friday except Bank Holidays)
Please note that the Lost Property Office will be closing early at 14:00 on Friday 10 June 2011 for staff training. Normal services will resume on Monday 13 June 2011.

DLR

Property lost on Docklands Light Railway is kept in the Security Hut at the DLR offices at Poplar station, which can be contacted 24 hours a day on 020 7363 9550.
Lost property is held at Poplar for 48 hours, after this period it is then forwarded on to TfL's Lost Property Office. You can use the TfL lost property form to find out if your property has been found.
If you have lost money in one of the DLR ticket machines, please complete the DLR lost money form .

Victoria Coach Station

If you have lost property at Victoria Coach Station within the last seven days, please call 020 7027 2520. You can also enquire in person at the mobility lounge opposite gate 21 in the Departures terminal at Victoria Coach Station between 08:00-20:00.
You can also use the TfL lost property form  to find out if your property has been found.
If you have lost property on a coach, then you must contact the relevant coach operator directly.

Minicab (Private hire vehicle)

Property found in minicabs is held at the relevant operator's office, where a record of lost property is kept.
Please contact the company that you booked your car with to check if they have found your property.

River services

Property found on boats is held by the service operator at their offices. If you have lost your property on a boat, you should contact the company concerned.
If you left your property on a TfL pier, please enquire at the pier concerned or telephone 020 7941 2400.

Tram

Property found on Tramlink services is forwarded to the Tramlink offices. Customers can enquire about lost property at the Tramlink Shop from Monday-Friday between 09:00-17:00 at Unit 5, Suffolk House, George Street, Croydon CR0 1PE, or telephone the offices on 020 8681 8300.
We are required to retain items of lost property for a minimum of 28 days except for any perishable items, which are disposed of after 24 hours. In practice, we may hold items longer than this depending on available storage space. If an item remains unclaimed after 28 days we will dispose of it either through our nominated charity or, if the item is of no use to them, it is disposed of as rubbish.