From false teeth to cuddly toys: what do forgetful passengers leave behind on Wightlink’s ferries?

With more than four million people crossing the Solent every year with Wightlink, it’s not surprising that some of them leave things behind on ships and at ports. Although ferry company staff do all they can to reunite forgetful passengers with their possessions, sometimes it’s impossible. In 2024, 2,447 items ended up in the lost property store.

Most frequently left behind are spectacles and sunglasses, from ordinary pairs to top brands such as Ray-Ban and Prada. Bank cards, mobile phones, purses, wallets and sundry items of clothing like hats, jackets and gloves are also frequently abandoned on seats, tables and counters, together with many more unusual things.

All lost property is kept for a month, then recycled or destroyed. Anyone who wants to report a missing item should drop a line to [email protected]

Wightlink’s Top Ten of lost property

• Spectacles
• Bank cards
• Water bottles
• Sunglasses
• Mobile phones
• Baseball caps
• Wallets
• Books
• Woolly hats
• Scarves

Some of the quirkier items of lost property

• Banjo in a bag with a wooden Tea! sign
• Golf clubs
• Motor bike helmet
• Road bike
• False teeth
• Pills and other medicines
• Child’s potty
• Packet of Hob Nobs
• Bag of shopping
• Cuddly highland cow, koala, cat and rabbit

For more information about Wightlink, please contact:

Duty Media Officer

• [email protected]

• 07870 906 189