Anyone walking down Station Road in Narborough and looking over the River Soar bridge in the Leicester direction in recent months will have noticed a discarded metallic object in the water. It may have been a toaster from its appearance.

After looking at it many times on their walks, local residents David and Eileen Hersey and Jeremy Collingridge decided that it was their citizenly duty to fish it out. This was done with the aid of a roof lathe, a length of stout string and a kitchen hook. It was surprisingly heavy and mains powered but, from its electric motor, wheels and shafts it was not a toaster!

Here they are with the object successfully landed on the pavement.

A clean up with a hose and scrubbing brush identified it as a Sigma bank note sorting and counting machine. The second photo shows it spruced up – not the latest model.

If you have lost one, this might explain where it went! The electric motor and circuitry had had a good soaking and much of the mechanism was rusted. It was never going to work again. David and Jeremy thank Tom Coles of the Coventry Road ‘Coffee Club’ for taking it to Whetstone Tip later that day – its final resting place.