Brits carpeted for stealing from hotels

Millions of Brits liked what they saw so much when they looked in the mirror at the hotel they were staying in that they decided to take it with them.

Thousands of others thought their hotel room carpet was so comfortable to walk on that if they sneaked it past reception and into their car boot it would save them thousands on pedicures.

Gone, it seems, are the days when pilfering items from a hotel room meant a few bars of soap and some shampoo, if new research by hotel chain Travelodge is anything to go by.

Among the unusual items to go missing from hotel rooms are mirrors, which have been taken by 2.3 million Brits, while 1.2 million have made off with the light fittings and 1.1 million have nabbed the curtains.

Even doorknobs and carpets are not safe, with 900,000 and 450,000 Brits respectively admitting to pinching these from a hotel room.

Of the Brits heading off on holiday this year, 11 per cent are planning to swipe items from their hotel rooms.

Top of their most wanted list are towels, followed by ashtrays, drinking glasses, slippers and bathrobes.

Travelodge noticed a increase in branded ashtrays going missing from its hotels earlier this year, about the same time that Chantelle Houghton – who as a Paris Hilton lookalike was branded 'Paris Travelodge' by her friends – was appearing on Celebrity Big Brother.

"As a no-frills hotel chain, we don't offer luxury items like slippers and bathrobes and it means we don't have much of a problem with items going walkabout," said Kyle Rowe, Travelodge operations director.

"However, we did see a lot of our branded ashtrays go missing and appear on an auction site after Chantelle appeared on Big Brother.

"At the end of the day, replacing items comes at a cost which drives hotel room prices up, particularly for four and five star hotels which lose more luxurious items."

More than 40 per cent of Brits say the main reason they take items from hotel rooms is to get as much value as possible from their holiday. XXX