A CELESTRON Starsense telescope and a 60-year-old marriage certificate are among the interesting items left behind at Hexham's Travelodge hotel last year.

The budget hotel chain has revealed some of the unusual treasures found in its hotels across the UK.

A landscape watercolour painting of Hadrian's Wall and a box of 100 embroidered personalised wedding napkins were also found at the Travelodge at Hexham Gate Retail Park, which opened in June last year.

Elsewhere in Northumberland, one of the most unusual treasures found at the Blyth A1 Travelodge was a gold-framed portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on her coronation.

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Travelodge's 2022 Lost and Found inventory report revealed a high volume of royal and patriotic memorabilia being left behind at its hotels.

Shakila Ahmed, spokeswoman for Travelodge, said: "With nearly 19 million customers annually staying at our 580 UK Travelodge hotels, including our hotels in Northumberland, for thousands of different reasons, we do get a range of interesting items left behind.

"Interestingly the 2022 lost and found audit also revealed that we are a nation striving for a healthy lifestyle as we have seen a significant rise in smart watches being left behind in our Travelodge hotels during the last 12 months. 

"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."

All items left behind in Travelodge hotels that have not been claimed within three months are donated to the local British Heart Foundation Charity Shops, Travelodge’s nominated charity partner.