Boy reunited with Lego man after dropping it in ballot box
Four-year-old Carter Allen lost his toy while helping his mother vote in election last week
A four-year-old boy has been reunited with his favourite Lego figure after accidentally dropping it into a ballot box when his mother was voting last week.
Olivia Allen, from Doncaster, took her son Carter and daughter Honey to the polling station and asked them to put two of her slips into the boxes.
"When I looked over to Carter his face had gone white and he was crying his eyes out because the Lego man had dropped into the box," she told the Yorkshire Post.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The presiding officer said she could put a note in the box requesting the toy's return, but Allen assumed it would "just get lost or thrown out".
"I couldn't even replace it because it's a figure Carter has made himself with different parts from the Lego movie. He calls it 'Star Wars man'," she explained.
But earlier this week she had a call from Doncaster Council to say that, after all the results were declared, election staff had found Carter's toy.
Yesterday staff at the council tweeted pictures of 'Star Wars man' waiting for Carter's arrival. They then hid the toy in a discarded ballot box so Carter could retrieve it for himself.
"He was so happy," said his mother. "He ran over to me and said 'I love you so much.' I had to try hard not to cry. It was very emotional. He hasn't let go of it since we got home."
Doncaster Council staff even gave Carter some extra Lego gifts, including a Spiderman car.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Bhutan hopes tourists will put a smile back on its face
Under The Radar The 'kingdom of happiness' is facing economic problems and unprecedented emigration
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published