Baby photos boost lost wallet returns

Brits are more likely to hand in lost wallets if they contain a baby picture, a new study has found.

Scientists tested the honesty of the public by leaving 240 wallets around Edinburgh last year and monitoring which ones were returned to their owners. Though none contained money, they did hold a number of potentially profitable items - including raffle tickets, discount vouchers and membership cards.

The behavioural experiment saw some wallets stuffed with cards indicating that the owner had recently donated to charity, while others contained one of four photos - showing a baby, a puppy, a family or an elderly couple. Additionally, a control batch did not have any extra item.

The study's supervisor Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, has now announced that 42% of the wallets were returned in total. Notably, 88% of those featuring the baby picture found their way home - compared to 53% for the puppy, 48% for the family and 28% for the elderly couple.

Wallets containing a charity card or no item at all saw poor return rates of 20% and 15% respectively, he added.

Wiseman told The Daily Telegraph: "The baby kicked off a caring feeling in people, which is not surprising from an evolutionary perspective. We were amazed by the high percentage of wallets that came back."