FROM an artificial leg to car keys for a Mercedes – all manner of items have been left behind at Mayday Hospital over the last year.

The Advertiser has been given a list of all the lost property looked after at the hospital between June 2009 and May this year.

Found everywhere from the toilets to the A&E department, the discoveries range from everyday items like glasses and jewellery to the not-so-obvious.

These include a Peppa Pig child's umbrella, which has still not been claimed, a 50 Euro note, a hearing aid and a birth certificate. In total more than 120 items are listed.

Mike Ralph, director of estates and facilities at Mayday, said: "It's mainly keys and mobile phones that are left behind.

"When people come in here their minds tend to be on other things.

"It's not a normal thing to be in hospital and most people have a little bit of anxiety and agitation.

"When they're going home they are concentrating on different things. Usually the property is handed in to security and they bring them to the cashiers for logging and registering."

About 30 per cent of the lost property is reunited with its owners, often through good old-fashioned detective work.

But things like bank cards are destroyed almost immediately if the owner cannot be traced.

From the list of goodies 16 of the items are keys, while there were ten mobile phones left behind.

Sharon Byrne, the hospital's financial accounts manager, said: "If we've got a mobile phone we'll ring some of the numbers to see if we can get the contact details.

"Usually somebody might have a number listed under mum and dad or home."

Sharon Amer, a senior cashier and financial accountant, added: "We've had crash helmets, suitcases, an artificial leg, dentures and a brand new pair of trainers still in the box.

"If you can contact people and reunite them with their property then they are very appreciative.

"And it can be very gratifying for us."