A RESIDENT has been reunited with a set of keys which he dropped down a drain after cheekily asking workers to retrieve them.

Crews from Essex Highways were carrying out drain cleaning works in a road in Clacton earlier this week.

They were eventually approached by a man who lives in the road who had lost his car keys after dropping them down one of the drains.

Sensing an opportunity to finally get them back, he asked the engineers if they could have a hunt around for them while the metal cover was open.

Before long they had recovered the keys and reunited them with the owner, much to his delight.

A spokesman said: “He took his chance and asked if there was any chance of retrieving the car keys he had dropped in the drain several weeks before.

“[Our team was} happy to oblige.”