Benidorm family reveals why they left an urn of ashes in a supermarket locker
Police eventually tracked down the owners, who said they'd deliberately left it there during home renovations
The mystery surrounding the urn of ashes discovered in a supermarket locker in Benidorm has finally been solved and it turns out the family hadn't forgotten it at all.
After an appeal by Benidorm Local Police captured plenty of attention on social media, officers managed to trace the owners and reunite them with the urn. That's when they were given an explanation that surprised even the police.
According to Local Police, the family had deliberately placed the urn in the supermarket locker because they were carrying out renovation work at home and believed it would be a safe place to keep it until the work was finished.
The problem was that they had no idea the locker had later been opened and the urn removed.
The unusual case began on Monday when a supermarket employee discovered the urn while checking the customer lockers and contacted the police.
Officers initially appealed for help on social media, posting a photograph of the urn alongside an urgent message.
"Someone has left an urn containing ashes in a supermarket locker. If you think it might be yours or know someone who might be looking for it, please contact the Benidorm Local Police. We know this isn't just any ordinary object," they wrote.
"Behind this urn is a story and a family who are probably going through a difficult time. Please share this post to help bring it back to its loved ones."
When no one came forward, officers decided to investigate further.
Local Police spokesperson Quique Tortosa explained that, after social media appeals and press coverage failed to identify the owners, officers checked police databases and other official records before eventually locating the deceased person's relatives.
The family were then contacted and able to collect the urn, bringing one of the Costa Blanca's most unusual lost property cases to a happy ending.
For Benidorm's Local Police, who regularly deal with lost phones, wallets, passports and keys during the busy summer season, it's certainly not every day they're asked to reunite a family with a loved one's ashes that had been intentionally left in a supermarket locker for safekeeping.
Image: Policia Local de Benidorm
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