Airline tickets, an engagement ring and an array of valuable goods were among items left behind by people who stayed at Travelodge hotels last year.

One business traveller in Chester forgot his keys to a brand new Bentley car,  while a stockbroker staying in London left behind a file which contained share certificates worth £500,000.

A company chief executive staying in Aberdeen missed his flight home as he had to return back to the hotel to pick up a lucky penny that he has been carrying around for 40 years.

Other items discovered by staff included two first class tickets to the Maldives and a marriage certificate.

Shakila Ahmed of Travelodge said: “With millions of customers annually staying at our 563 hotels across the length and breadth of the UK for thousands of different reasons, we do get a range of interesting items left behind.

“This year’s audit includes an R2-D2 robot, a William Shakespeare outfit with skull, a money tree bearing £50 notes, a 60-year-old marriage certificate, a six foot cuddly polar bear and a message in a bottle wedding proposal.

“When it comes to why so many of our customers forget their treasured items, it’s basically due to us all being time poor, juggling multiple tasks and being in a hurry to get from A to B. In the rush, valuable possessions are easily forgotten.”