Roadchef has launched a toy recovery service for the Christmas period.

Roadchef, which has 30 service stations across the UK, including Strensham in Worcestershire, has launched the service to help reunite lost toys with their owners.

The company has said it is launching the service after a survey of 500 parents revealed 90 per cent had lost their child's toy.

The survey also revealed 40 per cent of parents would travel outside their town or city to retrieve a lost toy, and nearly a quarter (24.8 per cent) would pay hundreds of pounds to get it back.

Some parents would even go to extraordinary lengths, with five per cent willing to cross the country, and one per cent willing to travel abroad.

More than 40 per cent of parents admitted to telling creative tales when their child’s toy went missing, with stories like "the fairy took it", "it went on holiday", and "it’s off to help Father Christmas".

Mark Fox, CEO at Roadchef, said: "Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but not one that doesn’t come without its stresses.

"All parents will know the dread of losing their child’s beloved toy and it can quickly turn a happy journey into a difficult one.

"With our Toy Recovery Service, we hope to bring peace of mind to parents using our services during the Christmas period and ensure no toy is left behind."

The service will allow parents to report lost toys via a dedicated online form.

Roadchef will then actively search and track down any reported lost toys within the service area network and publicise any lost toys found at its service stations across social media channels and its dedicated landing page.

Once a toy is found, Roadchef will arrange for its safe return, either through pickup from the service station or via a delivery option directly to the family's home address.

With the new Tservice, Roadchef hopes to reduce the need for these creative cover stories, ensuring that children are reunited with their toys—and that parents can enjoy a little more peace of mind this Christmas.

For more information on the service, visit: roadchef.com/christmas-at-roadchef/toy-recovery-service.