And Finally...Honest worker overpaid by £1.4 million gives it all back

By James Shepherd on Dec 18, 09 10:18 AM in News

A warehouseman who was wrongly paid £1.4 million by his employers was rewarded with a £10 crate of beer.

Co-op worker Stephen Foster, 31, was amazed to find he had been overpaid by £800,000 after deductions. If he had kept it, it could have earned him around £30,000-a-year in interest.

Instead Stephen, who earns £14,000-a-year and has a child with his girlfriend, immediately alerted his bosses.

He told his workmates: "I could not believe it when I saw the pay slip. I went to the cash point and it confirmed the money had been paid in. It would have been nice but I'm too honest."

It was back in the Co-op account within 12 hours of the error and, as a reward, his line manager gave Stephen a crate of Budweiser. But the store is going to give him a Christmas bonus as a gesture of thanks for his honesty.

Yesterday Stephen was back at work at the Co-op regional distribution centre in Birtley, Gateshead.

The Co-operative Group last night praised Stephen. A spokesman said: "The crate of Budweiser was given by his line manager as a gesture of thanks. We will do something more for Stephen before Christmas."

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