A REFUSE team saved the day for a Stokesley resident after her purse was thrown away with household rubbish.

Alyson Clinkard discovered her purse, containing £100 in cash and £100 in vouchers, had been mistakenly thrown into the rubbish by a friend she had visited in Ingleby Barwick.

A call to the refuse team at their Cowpen depot saw the men swing into action, diverting the bin wagon away from the incinerator to the recycling centre in Yarm Road, Stockton.

Gary Rowbotham, cleansing supervisor for Stockton council, said: "This was like looking for a needle in a haystack as there can be up to 2,000 bags in each refuse vehicle's load."

Equipment settings were slowed down so the load could be processed easier and after 90 minutes the missing purse was found.

The contents were intact inside a carrier bag inside a plastic bin bag.

Mrs Clinkard said: "I really did not expect to get my purse back. I am very grateful to the three chaps who were working on the refuse collection vehicle. They were extremely professional, courteous and helpful."