Jill and John Dance, Scott Duffy from Veolia and Councillor Chris Morgan

A Shropshire couple who lost their precious holiday snaps after accidentally binning them have had their treasured memories rescued at the eleventh hour.

It was only when John and Jill Dance got home to Ludlow that they realised they had accidentally dumped the cameras that held their holiday photos in a bin at a lay-by near a beauty spot in the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the west country.

The couple had spent three weeks touring the area in their motorhome.

Mr Dance said: “We were heading home for a hospital appointment when I binned the rubbish but I picked up a bag too many.

“It had the cameras with all the pictures of our holiday as well as some shots from last year.”

When the awful moment of realisation came, he contacted West Somerset Council to see if it could come to the rescue.

His call was passed to an officer who, having once left a camera with all his family’s holiday snaps on a plane, understood how much they meant to the couple.

He snapped into action and contacted the council’s cleaning contractors, Veolia Environmental Services, which dispatched an operative for the search.

Julie Lynch, Veolia’s operational and environmental manager, said: “The Red Quarry lay-by is on the way out of the district so we empty the bin on the way to the landfill site. If the landfill truck had reached it before us, I don’t think there would have been any hope of recovering them, so it’s great that we were in time.”

Mrs Dance, who has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer, said: “Getting away for a break was a real boost to me and I am the one who loves taking photos of the countryside and sea scenes. I use them to paint watercolours of the places we have visited.

“We couldn’t believe it when we got a call from the council to tell us that the cameras were safe. I would really like to thank everyone for helping us get them back.”

Councillor Chris Morgan, West Somerset Council’s lead member for the environment, said: “We get a lot of requests at the council and it’s fantastic that the team swung into action in time to save Jill and John’s memories of the West Country.

“If you’ll excuse the pun, it’s fair to say it’s bin a real pleasure to be of service.”