Cash in loo

From nothing to do with trading department.

A German pensioner flushed 30,000 old Deutschmarks worth £10,400 down his toilet, mistakenly thinking that they were worthless, police said.

Luckily for him the notes caused a blockage and a plumber managed to retrieve the sodden currency.

The 64-year-old pensioner had not realised that the notes could be exchanged at a bank for 15,000 euros.

The man later handed the money over at a bank in the northern city of Kiel, receiving a credit note, police said.

Euros replaced Deutschmarks in Germany in 2002. But the old currency can still be exchanged for euros at German banks free of commission.

The pensioner still had another 30,000 Deutschmarks at his apartment, as well as about 14,000 euros, police said.