Alpacas Called Ant And Dec Stranded In Travelodge Car Park After Owners Forgot Them

It's quite easy to leave something behind after staying at a hotel - watch on the bedside cabinet, toothbrush in the sink, complimentary toiletries in the bathroom (rather than in your wash bag).

But one couple somehow managed to forget their alpacas in a Travelodge car park in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, leaving them stranded for eight hours.

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The brilliantly-named Ant & Dec were being displayed at a show in August and their owners had left them in a trailer in the car park while they did a bit of shopping. However, upon returning from their trip the couple set off home, forgetting all about their furry friends.

They only realised they'd forgot to pack their alpacas once they were well down the motorway, but fortunately staff at the Travelodge looked after the abandoned buddies while the couple made their way back.

Travelodge spokeswoman, Shakila Ahmed, said: "They had been into town and had some lunch and were some 30 miles down the motorway when they realised what they'd done.

"Staff had to keep a close eye on the alpacas to make sure they were OK throughout the afternoon."

How embaaaaaarrassing (do alpacas baaa? I'm not sure).

Anyway, misplaced alpacas weren't the only unusual things Travelodge staff stumbled upon in 2019. Across its 571 hotels, all manner of belongings ended up in the lost and found.

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Ms Ahmed said: "This year's audit includes: an Aston Martin, a dissertation, a gingerbread village with residents and a precious 20-year-old celebrity autograph book.

"Interestingly our hotel teams have reported a rise in wedding and proposal props being left behind in our hotels in 2019. This included a 5ft floral unicorn, a huge full moon, a flower wall, palm trees, a Tiffany engagement ring and even a best man."

Not the best treatment for a best man that.

Ms Ahmed continued: "As we have more business customers staying in our hotels than ever before, we are seeing a continuous rise in important business papers, valuable items and lucky charms being left behind in our hotels. This includes a 65-year-old lucky Bonsai tree that has been passed down three generations, important business documentation and a brand new identity artwork.

"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."

So always remember people to do that all important last scan of your room before you check-out of a hotel.

Also, don't leave your alpacas in the car park.

Topics: UK News, Funny, Animals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey