Recent figures from the Air Transport Users Council (AUC) show passengers and their luggage are parted to the tune of 30m lost bags a year and rising .

The AUC points out that many of the bags are reunited with their owners within 48 hours. What happens to the remaining.

If, after three months, the airline hasn’t traced the owner, they go to auction houses such as Greasby's, in Tooting, south London. About 1,000 unclaimed items pour into Greasby’s each week generally from Heathrow. 

Greasby’s auctions are held every Tuesday, at 10.30am, at Longley Road, Tooting, SW17 020 8672 2972, www.greasbys.co.uk.

Other lost-luggage auctions take place at Wellers Auctions (01932 568 678, www.wellers-auctions.co.uk in Guildford, and at BCVA 0117 9533676 www.dnfa.com/bcva  in Bristol,

Also monthly airport auctions from Hertfordshire Auctions, St. Albans http://www.hertsauctions.com/index.asp

The auctions are usually sold with the suitcase intact so there is absolutely no way of knowing what they contain. The price is often around a fiver. You bid and take a chance as you may end up with dirty washing only.

A word of warning however. Airports, particularly Heathrow, are putting in more sophisticated baggage systems which purportedly will reduce the losses. Therefore you must check prior to attending the auction in case the promises have come to fruition.