A person who found nearly £5,000 cash in a designer bag told the police - more than 12 hours later, a court has heard.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court was told how the bag had been found under a table in a Costa Coffee shop and the finder had handed in the bag but not the cash.

An unknown male later claimed the bag but had not made any effort to recover the cash.

The police applied to the magistrates for permission to detain the cash on the basis they had reasonable grounds to suspect it was recoverable property having been obtained through unlawful conduct or was intended for use in unlawful conduct.

The magistrates granted the order which will run for six months.

If the cash is not claimed it will go to the finder.

PC Emma Oldham told the court a member of the public found a Louis Vuitton bag under a table at Costa at 7.30am on November 16.

The bag contained £4,960 in cash.

“The finder remained in the cafe for over an hour to see if anyone returned to collect the bag,” said PC Oldham.

“They then removed the cash and handed the bag in to Costa staff before leaving with the cash.”

PC Oldham said the finder didn’t call the police until that night.

Subsequently, a man went to Costa and asked for his bag, which was returned to him.

The police had collected the cash from the finder.

PC Oldham said they had so far been unable to access CCTV from Costa although it was still hoped that would be possible with the assistance of the company’s head office.

She said they had established that three men had been sitting at the table prior to the cash being found.

“No one has come forward to claim the cash in the two months since it was found,” said PC Oldham.

“If the owner is not identified, application will be made for its forfeiture and it will become the property of the finder.”