Israeli woman makes $1m landfill blunder

Searches are underway at landfill sites across Tel Aviv today after an Israeli woman threw away a mattress containing $1 million (£700,000).

The woman, known only as Anat, told a local radio station that she had bought her mother a new mattress as a surprise and thrown the old one away.

After nearly fainting, the older woman reportedly confessed that it contained her life savings. By this time however, the mattress had been collected and taken to one of three landfill sites in the city.

Yitzhak Borba, director of one of the sites, told Isreal's Army Radio that security has been stepped up to keep members of the public at bay while the search continues.

It is thought that over 2,500 tonnes of rubbish is deposited at each site daily.

A similar incident happened in Utah last year when $200,000 in cash and cheques was accidentally sent to a landfill site.

According to Kutv.com, the money was eventually found after an extensive search by employees at the site.

Written by Claire Manning