Meet Jean Scotland’s First Lady of lost property

Jean Scott grew up with nothing. As a child, she cried herself to sleep because her family were so poor.

However, that’s one of the reasons she really appreciates the value of things today.

And it’s why she’s the perfect woman when it comes to reuniting lost property with owners.

The bubbly 59-year-old is one of Glasgow’s hidden heroes. She works at First’s Caledonia depot the largest in the UK .

“You’d be amazed at the things people leave on the bus,” Jean laughed. “Of course, there’s purses and mobiles but sometimes you get the odd surprise too.

“I’ve had Hoovers, a violin, a microwave oven even a prosthetic leg. I mean how can you forget your limb?”

Down-to-earth Jean is the star of the show in STV’s newest documentary Lost in Transition. The programme follows the dedicated worker and her 17-year-old apprentice Kirsty as they sift through the thousands of valuables left on the city’s buses.

The pair have a month to reunite items, from wallets to walking sticks, with their rightful owners. After that, they’re donated to charity.

“It’s a great job,” Jean said. “I love getting things back to people. In fact, in the few situations that I can’t, I feel pretty sad about it.”

Jean grew up in Maryhill with her six siblings. “I used to go to bed greetin’ because I was starving. Because we didn’t have much, we valued everything a bit more. I think that’s one of the things that makes me so dedicated to this job.”

During four years in the post, Jean, who has worked for First for 37 years in positions from conductress to cash supervisor, claims she’s seen it all.

“No two days are the same in lost property,” she smiled. “One time, we were handed a living room carpet.

“And we almost had a baby once, a woman was so busy trying to get her shopping bags off the bus she forgot her child. Thankfully the driver spotted the pram and gave her a shout.”

One day Jean was met with a fisherman’s bag full of maggots which she had to set free in the park and numerous times she’s opened pieces of kitchen roll to find false teeth grinning back at her.

She once tracked down the owner of a bag which contained £2,000 cash.

“It’s nice to think people are so honest that they hand things in. People are so grateful. They bring gifts to say thank you. Some just want to give you a big hug I even had a woman do a rain dance once.”

Thankfully Jean, who regularly commutes on buses, has only lost one thing of her own and found it waiting for her in the office the next day.

“My keys fell out of my pocket. I wasn’t sure where, but I opened the drawer at work the next morning and there they were.”

Lost in Transition airs on STV, Monday at 8pm.