This archive report was first published on 29 November 2019.
Located on the County Durham coast, Blackhall Colliery has a unique claim to fame - its beach featured in the 1971 film 'Get Carter' starring Michael Caine.
However, the village's current fame stems from a more unusual reason - a series of mysterious cash drops that have been leaving residents and authorities alike scratching their heads.
According to Durham Police, a total of £26,000 (approximately Sh3,350,000) has been found over the past five years, with 13 packages of £2,000 in £20 notes being discovered.
"These bundles are always left in plain sight, such as on pavements, and discovered by random members of the public who have handed them in," said Detective Constable John Forster.
Forster praised the 'incredible community spirit' of the locals who have handed in the cash, with some newspapers suggesting that the village could be the most honest place in Britain.
Speculation has been rife, with some villagers suggesting that the mysterious benefactor could be a 'secret millionaire' or even a 'Blackhall Santa'.
"It's not a run-down area, but nothing ever that good really happens around here," one resident was quoted as telling The Guardian. "It might be someone trying to help - a Santa's little elf. I hope it's that."
Like many other former pit villages, Blackhall Colliery has struggled since its mine closed in the 1980s.
