Workers made the discovery during a camera survey of gas mains
Paul Britton and Carrington Walker GAU Writer
10:46, 16 Dec 2025
Contractors were shocked to discovery an odd object during a gas mains replacement job(Image: Cadent)
Workers excavating a road were left astonished after unearthing an old die-cast Dinky Toy car nestled inside a gas pipe during a camera survey.
The miniature toy vehicle is thought to be a model of a Daimler Scout, a British light reconnaissance vehicle reportedly used during the Second World War.
According to Cadent, the firm that operates the gas distribution network in the Tameside region, where the car was discovered, these toys were produced and sold by Dinky from 1942 to the 1960s – meaning the discovery could be around 80 years old, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The toy car was discovered inside a gas main in the town of Droylsden, near Greater Manchester, during a project to replace some of the oldest gas mains in the area. The find was made by Stockport-based gas main-laying company PMCE, who were working as contractors for Cadent.
The site where the object was found(Image: Burton Mail)
Shane Mulhern, the company’s director, was operating the camera equipment inside the pipe at the time. A photo of the toy car in situ has now been shared.
“Before we insert the new polyethylene gas pipes into the old iron mains, we camera them, to find the services – the narrower pipes which run off the bigger gas main into homes – and look for any possible obstructions along the way,” he explained.
“I was pushing the camera along the main in Canberra Street, Droylsden, when I came across what looked like a toy car. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Later, when we ‘broke out’ a section of the main, I was able to retrieve it. I’ve looked it up and it’s a toy that was made by Dinky up to the 1960s, so the dates match with when this old cast iron pipe was originally put in.
“The way gas pipes were installed in those days was very different to how we do it now and we do come across foreign objects from time to time.”
Mr Mulhern revealed he’s previously discovered a pair of trousers lodged inside an old gas pipe, and even stumbled upon a copy of the Manchester Guardian newspaper originally published in February 1957.
The tiny toy car is believed to be a model of a Daimler Scout, a British light reconnaissance vehicle said to have been used during the Second World War.(Image: Cadent)
Cadent confirmed that fellow gas engineers have unearthed an array of unusual items jammed inside ageing pipework, including footballs, oil cans, boots, wooden planks and even a golf club.
The firm explained that over 83 per cent of households across the UK are linked to the local gas distribution network—the extensive system of pipes delivering gas nationwide to warm homes, schools, hospitals and various other buildings.
It’s thought the toy car may have been placed inside the pipeline by youngsters playing around during the original installation back in the 1960s. According to Cadent, it was unlikely to have caused any significant disruption to gas distribution through the network.