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Found an item? Your responsibilities

What to do when you find someone else's property — your responsibilities and how to return it safely.

Found something in Essex? Handling it responsibly protects both you and the owner. Rules vary by location, but the principles are consistent.

  1. Make a reasonable effort to find the owner. Check for ID, contact details, or anything that identifies who it belongs to.
  2. Don't assume it's yours to keep. Keeping found property without trying to return it can have legal consequences. When in doubt, hand it in.
  3. Hand valuables to the authorities. Report significant or high-value finds to the police non-emergency line for Essex; they'll log it and may issue a reference.
  4. Store it safely. Keep the item secure and unchanged while you try to return it.
  5. Post a found listing. Add a found-item listing for Essex with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for Essex

Recent reports in Essex

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Found hoops in Market Place, Chelmsford

I was walking back from the Market this morning, around 8:50 am, when I spotted a pair of hoops left on a bench near Market Cross in Chelmsford. They’re silver, simple hoops with a small heart charm snagged on one of them. They looked recently dropped—no scratches, just a bit of street dust. I picked them up and kept them safe, hoping the owner will see this post soon.

Market Place near Market Cross, Chelmsford about 12 hours ago
found A

Found: chokers in Essex, United Kingdom

Last Friday around 6:20 p.m., I was walking along Colchester High Street near the Market Place when I found a small velvet pouch lying on the pavement. Inside were several chokers on a little card, shiny and delicate. I felt a rush of concern for whoever lost them and kept them safe, hoping to reunite them with their owner. If these belong to you, please check the area around Market Place and the bus stop outside Colchester Library; I’ll be here waiting for the rightful owner to claim them on the site.

Reward
near the Market Place bus stop, Colchester 8 days ago
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Found pins near Essex town center today.

I was walking past the Essex Library on Tuesday afternoon around 4:15 p.m. when I spotted a small pile of enamel pins on the pavement near the market stalls. They looked like they might belong to someone, so I picked them up and kept them safe, hoping the owner would recognize them. There are about a dozen pins, with designs ranging from band logos to cartoon characters. If any of this sounds like yours, check the library steps and the market square—I'll hold onto them until contact is made.

Outside Essex Library, near the market square 26 days ago
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Found: Organizers at Chelmsford station

On Tuesday at 4:15 PM I found a small set of black plastic organizers on the pavement outside Chelmsford railway station in Essex. They look a bit scuffed from rain, with a clear lid that reveals a jumble of receipts and notes inside. I can imagine someone rushing to catch a train, papers fluttering, and their day going from organized to chaotic in seconds. I wanted to help reunite them with the rightful owner, because losing something that keeps your day in order is so stressful.

outside Chelmsford railway station about 1 month ago
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FOUND Paintings in Essex, Essex, United Kingdom

I found a stack of framed paintings leaning against a wall outside Market Square in Essex town center, Essex, United Kingdom, around 4:15 pm on Wednesday. The canvases show bright seascapes and countryside, still wrapped in protective plastic. I placed them in a sheltered doorway near the Market Square fountain, hoping the owner would recognize the scenes. It’s strange to stumble on art like this, but I’m glad to help reunite it with whoever created or commissioned it.

outside Market Square fountain, Essex town center 2 months ago
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Found toasters in Essex, Essex

Hello, I’m Alice Turner. I found two toasters on the pavement outside Chelmsford Cathedral yesterday around 5:45 PM. They were silver with black dials, sitting near a recycling bin, and they seemed recently used. I figured someone nearby would be missing them, so I didn’t move them far, just left them where I found them in case the owner returns. If you recognize these appliances, I hope you’ll claim them here so they can go back to their rightful kitchen.

near Chelmsford Cathedral, off Duke Street, Chelmsford 3 months ago