CUMBRIA Police have successfully applied for the forfeiture of almost £57,000 of suspicious cash that was found in a driver’s car on the M6 in Cumbria.

The money was found crammed into a carrier bag that was behind the driver seat of a car that drove past Carlisle on the motorway on April 30, the city’s Rickergate court was told.

The money – consisting of Scottish bank notes – was divided into £1,000 bundles but when counted the total amount was £56,880.

Gail Heard, for Cumbria Constabulary, said that the driver when questioned provided “vague” answers about his short trip to Glasgow and he denied any knowledge of the money.

He also seemed nervous when talking to the police.

Illegally present in the UK, the man, who gave police an address in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, had been granted bail by Home Office officials and had not been seen since, said Miss Heard.

She added: “On this basis, we say this is money either from criminal activity or intended for criminal activity.”

After hearing also that nobody had come forward to claim the seized cash, District Judge John Temperley granted the forfeiture application.

The money is the latest in a series of high value cash seizures made by police from motorists on the M6, which is a recognised transit route for illegal drugs and linked criminal cash from the drugs trade.

Money seized by the courts in this way is ploughed back into the fight against crime.