Lost property

The first thing to do is report the item to us as missing. While our station employees can help, it’ll be faster to give us a call on 0345 322 7021, or by filling in our online form.

Remember to include as much detail as possible, as it’ll help us make sure we have your item – this includes the IMEI number if the item lost is your mobile phone. 

Every phone or mobile device has a unique 15-digit code, called the IMEI number. This lets us make sure we definitely have your device, so it can be returned to you – we can’t do anything without it.

 

Your IMEI number can be found on the label on the box the device came in. Alternatively, you can contact your service provider, and they can let you know.

Our Lost Property Office is located next to Platform 1 at Cannon Street station – just head down the side of the barriers. The Office is open from 8am to 3pm, but it’s closed at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

 

A lot of work goes into recovering and returning a lost item, so there is a handling fee of £3 for most items. For larger electronics, this is £20, due to additional steps needed to keep them secure

It can take a week or so for an item to be recovered and returned to you. Our stations and depots have weekly collections taking lost property up to Cannon Street. 

 

If we’ve found your item and been able to match it to the description you gave, you’ll receive a call from our Lost Property Office – it’s an 0330 number. However, if you haven’t heard from us, it generally means your item hasn’t been recovered – or at least it hasn’t been matched to the description.

In general, we can’t chase down the location of lost property. We serve 180 stations, and manage 164 of them. We also have depots located across various parts of London, Kent, and East Sussex. It’s not possible to track or chase down an item at all of these locations.

 

There are exceptions, though. If you’ve misplaced medication or important documents, we’ll see what we can do to locate and return them to you. However, it’s not always guaranteed that we’ll be able to track items down.

 

Please note:

• Perishables will be disposed of upon recovery.
• Cash will be processed into one of our tills and replaced with a receipt – this can be taken to any Southeastern station to be recovered.
• Credit/Debit cards and cheque books will be kept for 24 hours, before being securely destroyed – you’ll need to contact your bank for a replacement.
• Driving licences will be kept for 24 hours, before being returned back to the DVLA.
• Passports won’t be kept, and will be returned directly to HM Passport Office.