A supermarket manager in Benidorm found a funeral urn containing ashes in a customer locker, prompting police to seek the deceased person’s relatives. The manager discovered it during a routine check of customer lockers on Monday morning and immediately notified the Policía Local. A report by Catalan outlet El Caso said the urn had been left there while the family carried out work at home.
Forgotten items such as keys, wallets or phones are common, police said, but the discovery of a funeral urn is highly unusual. Authorities are trying to identify the family connected to the urn. They have shared an image of the container on social media and appealed for public assistance. Their message stressed the sensitivity of the situation: behind the urn is a story and a family likely experiencing distress.
Policía Local spokesperson Quique Tortosa confirmed that officers are working to trace the deceased person’s relatives. So far, no one has come forward to claim the ashes. Police have urged anyone who believes the urn may belong to them, or who knows someone searching for it, to get in touch. If the rightful owners cannot be found, the urn will be transferred to the municipal cemetery for safekeeping.
The handling of cremated remains can involve local as well as state rules. Regional public broadcaster ORM has reported that, in the context of scattering ashes, the absence of a specific regional regulation leaves state rules and local regulations to apply. Municipal cemetery rules can so shape how an unclaimed urn is received and kept. In Benidorm, police say the cemetery transfer would be a safekeeping measure if relatives cannot be traced.
Such discoveries in public spaces are rare and delicate. Supermarkets often deal with misplaced personal items, but a funeral urn presents distinct challenges for staff and authorities. The incident also draws attention to local police procedures for handling sensitive lost property, especially when it involves human remains.
Similar unexpected finds in public venues have occurred elsewhere in Spain. A recent event at a Madrid shopping centre required an evacuation after a fire was linked to a shoplifting suspect, as detailed in this report on the incident at La Vaguada shopping centre in Madrid. The circumstances differ, but both cases involved swift action by authorities and public cooperation.
Police continue to urge anyone with information about the Benidorm urn to come forward in the hope of reuniting it with the rightful family.
