Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Friday 13 January 1939

Curios Found in Gas Meters

The number of strange things used in the Wath, Thurnscoe and Bolton districts for insertion in gas meters in place of pennies and shillings is amazing.

They have been tops of tins, halfpennies filed down to the tops of shillings, parts of babies’ dummies, washers, foreign coins and a silver War badge.

A reporter of “The Star” visiting the offices of the Wath, Bolton and Thurnscoe Gas Board at Wath-on-Dearne to-day was shown 86 rings which have come from babies’ feeding bottles, and which have been inserted in gas meters.

The Board has decided from the beginning of next April to prosecute all persons who insert dummy coins to obtain gas supply.