A man who lost his dad’s ashes in a Tesco bag for life on a drunken pub crawl has been reunited with them, after they were miraculously found by a lucky binman.
Stan Blade had planned to visit Southend, Essex, to take his dad’s ashes onto the pleasure rides and the dodgems.
But the 39-year-old got side-tracked and, after meeting up with a group of old friends, he ended up one a nine-hour bender.
During this he lost the ashes of his dad, Stephen Jewitt, who died aged 60.
They had been carefully held in a wooden casket inside the shopping bag.
Six tins of Stella and five pints later however, he ended up at his step-mum’s house, empty handed.
In horror, realising what he’d done, he raced back to the pubs he’d visited on Saturday, March 18, and found nothing but bemused staff and no sign of his dear old dad.
He then put a plea video out on TikTok for his missing dead dad and, on Saturday morning, a binman picked up his old man’s ashes on his rounds.
It was discovered sitting on a bin, minus the shopping bag.
Stan, a musician living in Leicester, said: "I came home, and my step mum asked 'where is your dad?'
"She was not pleased with me at all, and I do not blame her.
"My dad was a really funny bloke and he would have absolutely loved the idea of me riding a roller coaster with his ashes by my side.
"Me and my family are all very happy and grateful to get him back- there will be no more outings!"
The road sweeper had dutifully handed the casket into Essex police who have been trying to track down Stephen's relatives ever since.
Stan had spent five anxious days waiting and contacted the press in hopes of help, until yesterday morning when police saw his story and got in touch.
Stan said: "When Essex police ring you, you automatically think, 'uh oh, what's this about?'
"The policeman said on the phone, 'we heard you've been looking for your dad's ashes?'
"I'm just very grateful to the man who handed it in for me. My dad would think he was famous now if still here.
"My step-mum Emma has calmed down now and I think she will see the funny side soon."
In the TikTok video made the same night titled 'missing person,' Stan's step-mum Emma Hopkins, 49, can be heard despairing in the background.
In the video Stan explained he had come up with the idea of a trip with his dad for fun.
Still slurring in the video from the bar crawl, he said: "I convinced my step-mum to do a TikTok.
"I thought it would be funny- put him in the dodgem cars, put him in the big wheel, give him a kiss-me-quick hat and a stick of rock and stuff.
"She didn't want me to do it but I did it anyway."
In reply to his question, “are you ready to see the funny side yet?” his step-mum, Emma said: "Not really no, I've f***ing had those ashes for 12 years.
"I told you not to take them to the seafront. All you want to do is do things on TikTok."
Stan's dad Stephen Jewitt worked as a night porter and died in 2011 from complications of alcohol abuse.
