DURHAM workers have been praised for reuniting holidaymakers with their car keys.

Chris and Val Tunaley, from Anstey, Leicestershire, lost the keys after they used the park and ride service to visit Durham Cathedral.

But park and ride staff and workers at bus company Scarlet Band, which runs the services, found them and manage to find them through the security cameras at the car park.

Mr Tunaley said: "Fortunately, a note was attached to the windscreen saying that our keys had been found and giving us instructions on how they could be recovered using the video camera link on site.

"I was intrigued to learn how they had identified the car just from the keys, which had no obvious information on them, but apparently our first bus driver had remembered us and the car had been located using CCTV surveillance camera tapes.

"The car park supervisor had even kept our car under special surveillance until our return.

"We were so impressed by this excellent technology and incredibly helpful and friendly approach that we wanted to express our thanks to the county council and everyone involved in operating the park and ride scheme."

The couple sent the council £20 as a thank-you, which it donated to the upkeep of the cathedral.