An urn of ashes, a pet cat and a blue glass eye have made it onto Travelodge’s annual list of the most bizarre items left behind in its hotel rooms, published today.

Also included was, one suspects to the surprise of the housekeeper, a six foot by six foot remote control helicopter and a suitcase full of diamond jewellery.

Guy Parsons, Travelodge chief operating officer, said: “Each year our lost and found departments provide plenty of revelations. From a lucky charm Buddha to Bentley car keys, our customers’ left behinds demonstrate what a cross section of people we serve.”

Travelodge’s near seven million annual guests most commonly forgot their mobile phones and chargers; items of clothing; books; toiletries; lap tops; MP3 players and Sat Navs; jewellery and watches; and false teeth and limbs last year.

The hotel company’s lost and found office also recorded an increase in the number of misplaced electrical gadgets in 2007 such as the aforementioned Sat Navs, as well as Blackberrys, Playstations and handheld consoles such as Nintendo’s DS.

The 10 most bizarre items left behind at Travelodge in 2007 include:

1) A Lord Mayor chain  
2) An urn of ashes
3) A blue glass eye
4) Pet Persian cat called Princess
5) A child (Parents were busy packing the car, they were in a hurry to leave and realised they had left their son behind just before leaving the hotel car-park)
6) Suitcase full of diamond jewellery
7) Lucky charm Buddha necklace
8) Keys to a Bentley
9) Six foot by six foot remote control helicopter
10) Antique gold necklace worth £12,000      

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By Chris Druce