World War One medals found in bin bag saved from incinerator

World War One medals found dumped in a bin bag have been saved from an incinerator.

The four medals were found inside a case at Bretby Household Waste Recycling Centre in Derbyshire.

The discovery, which was made as part of a council initiative to crack down on landfill, included a British war medal and an Allied Victory medal.

Efforts are now being made to trace the relatives of the recipient and return them.

Craig Capper, contract manager at HW Martin Waste Ltd, which manages the recycling centre, said the resident who dumped the bag containing the medals had left the site before they were found.

"My thoughts are somebody was clearing a relative's house out and did not realise the medals were in the bags," he said.

Asked what his reaction was when he found out about the medals, Mr Capper said: "'Wow', to be truthful.

"You know, you've got to respect these people who've done all that for us, so that can't end up in an incinerator," he added.

The medals were found as a result of a new bag-splitting policy at the site, whereby bin bags are searched so recyclable materials can be sifted out.

A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson said: "Items sometimes get thrown away by mistake so we would like to reunite these with the family.

"If these medals belong to your family then please get in touch with our contractors HW Martin."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].