Eagle-eyed road worker helps reunite hotel with stolen stash

An eagle-eyed highways worker has reunited a hotel with items stolen during a burglary.

Shropshire Highways’ Tyler Morris, 18, from Shrewsbury was busy repairing potholes with colleagues in the Middleton area when he spotted a plastic file.

On closer inspection the file contained paperwork and money – with the name of the Dragon Hotel, Montgomery, on the paperwork.

Mr Morris then spotted three sets of keys hidden in the undergrowth – keys appearing to be part of the same hidden stash.

He called the Dragon Hotel – a 17th-Century coaching inn – where staff confirmed they had been burgled two evenings before and had lost all the keys and paperwork.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for highways, commended the efforts of Mr Morris' efforts.

He said: “My thanks and congratulations go to Tyler for spotting these items and helping to reunite them with their rightful owner. I know that the team at The Dragon Hotel were really thrilled to have been reunited with the stolen and discarded items. Most of all they were delighted to have the cellar key returned which is at least 100 years old and an item of personal value.

“I also want to praise Tyler and his colleagues for the fantastic job they are doing every day to improve the county’s roads. Their efforts are recognised and are greatly appreciated.”

Shropshire Highways is an alliance of Shropshire Council, Kier and WSP working on Shropshire’s roads.