Sreet cleaner told he can keep £10,000 in cut-up banknotes, if he can piece it together

Graham Hill has in front of him the most lucrative jigsaw puzzle in history, a combination of £10 and £20 notes he found while emptying bins.

Police said there was no evidence the money was stolen and, having kept it unclaimed for six months, said Mr Hill can have it, and any of it he can piece back together will be legal tender.

Mr Hill, from Gainsborough, Lincs, said: "I was gutted when I looked in the bin and saw all the money cut up."



He found the money chopped up and dumped in a bin in Lincoln's Central Market, along with a second bundle found in a bin near a restaurant. They are thought to have been thrown away on the night of May 7.

Lincolnshire Police launched an investigation but gave him it back when no-one came forward.

A spokesman for the Bank of England said: "From what I understand of Mr Hill's case, he should be fine to get a reimbursement on the notes that he can put together." For Mr Hill to be successful he will have to ensure that the two serial numbers found on the front of every bank note match when he pieces them together.