Has it ever happened to you? Have you ever put your trousers in the washing machine and then
remembered there was a large bank note in your back pocket? When you rescued your trousers, did note
in your back pocket? When you rescued your trousers, did you find the note was whiter than white?
People who live in Britain needn't despair when they made mistakes like this (and a lot of people do
)! Fortunately for them, the Bank of England has a team called Mutilated Ladies which deals with
claims from people who fed their money to a machine or to their dog. Dogs, it seems, love to chew up
money!
A recent case concerns Jane Butlin whose fiance, John, runs a successful furniture business. John
had very good day and put his wallet containing $3,000 into the microwave oven for safekeeping. Then
he and Jane went horse-riding. When they got home, Jane cooked their dinner in the microwave oven
and without realizing it, cooked her fiance's wallet as well. Imagine their dismay when they found a
beautifully-cooked wallet and notes turned to ash! John went to see his bank manager who sent the
remains of wallet and the money to the special department of the Bank of England in Newcastle: the
Mutilate Ladies! They examined the remain and John got all his money back. 'So long as there's
something to identify, we will give people their money back,' said a spokeswoman for the Bank. 'Last
year, we paid $1.5m on 21,000 claims. Damaged bank notes. The Queen's head appears on English bank
notes, and 'lady' refers to this.