The toy monkey who travelled 600 miles around the country after being lost by boy, 3, in Birmingham
A lost toy monkey has been reunited with it's owner, after a 600-mile journey around the country.
Kayna Tay, 43, and her son, 3, were returning on the train from visiting grandparents in Rutland on Monday 20 November.
During the first half of their journey from Oakham to Bristol via Birmingham New Street, the family needed to change carriages.
The toddler’s dinosaur rucksack containing his beloved toy, known as ‘Monkey’, was misplaced. The cuddly toy had been his favourite companion since birth.
Realising it was missing and with an extremely upset little boy, Kayna headed straight for Network Rail’s Birmingham New Street station reception, where staff began their mission to trace the treasured toy.
The train was heading north east towards Newcastle but there was still no sign of the missing monkey.
But 384 miles away from where Monkey usually lives in Bristol, it was found when the CrossCountry service terminated in Edinburgh and was handed to lost property.
Staff arranged for Monkey to travel back down from Scotland to Birmingham, entrusted in the care of Avanti West Coast staff.
But before a sleepover at Birmingham New Street’s reception – there was another surprise in store for the travelling toy.
A hand-knitted jumper had previously been made as a Christmas decoration – and it was the perfect fit for Monkey.
The next day, Monkey boarded a CrossCountry train back home to Bristol.
In total four different companies came to the toy’s rescue, and Monkey clocked up an extra 619 rail miles on top of what should have been a 155-mile trip home from Leicestershire to the West Country.
Kayna said: “My little boy was inconsolable when we realised we’d lost Monkey on the train and we arrived at Birmingham New Street. But the treatment we received from the customer services team there, who mounted a miracle mission to find the monkey again, was above and beyond what I could have expected.
“I can’t thank everyone involved enough, across all the train companies, for not only making my little boy smile again, but he loves monkey’s new jumper and is full of questions, fascinated by the adventure he’s been on!”
Vinny Murphy, Birmingham New Street customer services assistant, said: “It was heart-breaking to see Kayna’s little lad so upset that he’d left his best friend on the train, so it was the least we could do to get straight on the phone to try and track him down.
“We couldn’t have done this without the efforts of all the train crews scouring under seats to find him. Spotting a tiny Christmas jumper in our station reception for him to wear was then the icing on the cake! We’re so pleased we could have helped and Monkey is back home for cuddles where he belongs - in gladrags fit for the festive season.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...