Search for fan who hasn’t changed his stripes

The Beano membership documents were lost during a family holiday Down Under in the 1970s by a young lad from England called Mark Mathews.

Mr Mathews and his father had visited an antiques shop and he dropped his card and badge and despite searches at the time staff could not find it anywhere - leaving the young boy “in tears”.

The shop owners later found the card stuck between a shelf and put it into safe keeping in case Mr Mathews and his father ever came back.

But they never did and the shop owner’s daughter has now found it where her mother had left it - and is trying to find Mr Mathews, who they know from the ID is from Willerby, near Hull.

The ID was dropped in the Speckled Hen antiques shop in Queensland, Australia, 38 years ago and a Facebook appeal has so far proved fruitless.

Shop owners, siblings Joelle and Tristan Fleming, are appealing for help in reuniting the kit with Mr Mathews - who would now be nearly 50. Joelle Fleming said they realised chances of finding Mr Mathews were remote - but they had to try for their mum’s sake.

He said: “My mother is a woman of her word and our family told Mark’s family we would send it back if it was found. We are obligated to at least attempt to return the item, even if it is 38 years late.”

The card which contains his name, address at the time and the date he joined the fan club - November 6, 1976.

Back in 1976, Mr Mathew lived at 70, Kingston Road, in Willerby, but a different family now live at the address. Mrs Fleming and her family live in Townsville in North Queensland.