By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:34 EST, 25 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:02 EST, 26 December 2013 . In a good year, when the sun shines on the summer fete and the congregation digs deep, one parish church can hope to collect up to £40,000. But as the Reverend and his flock rejoiced in the birth of Christ yesterday, they were also celebrating coming into almost three times that in one fell swoop. A bin bag containing £100,000 was found on the doorstep of a former vicarage owned by the St Thomas with St Maurice Church in York in August. Blessed gift: The Parish Church of St Thomas with St Maurice, in York, has been awarded £100,000 which was found outside one of its properties earlier this year . Four months later, a court has decided the sum should be given to the church, which plans to spend it on charitable causes. The . current occupier of the old vicarage building  found the bag on bin . collection day and did the honest thing by immediately handing it into . police. Officers launched an investigation into how the money came to be . dumped there and whether the bank notes were linked to criminal . activity. However, after . being unable to find any evidence of criminality, officers ruled that . the cash couldn’t be claimed as proceeds of crime. A . hearing was held at York Magistrates’ Court  to decide what should . happen to it and its ruling has been announced just in time for . Christmas. Eleanor Course, . the church diocese spokesman, said there was no dispute over who should . be awarded the funds and the person who found the cash didn’t contest . the church receiving it. She added: ‘It was just a matter of waiting for . the magistrates to decide.’ The award was officially made to the church . council of St Thomas with St Maurice under section one of the 1897 . Police Property Act. The . Act gives the public a route by which they can seek the return of . property and allows for the disposal of unclaimed property. Under the . law, if the owner of the property can’t be established, the magistrates . must decide what to do with it. Christmas bonus: The money is two-and-a-half times the £40,000 that St Thomas with St Maurice Church usually raises in income each year . Miss Course confirmed that the church was chosen by the court because it owns the property where the bag was left. Yesterday, . the church’s vicar, the Rev Philip Moore, declined to comment on the . good news and referred inquiries to the York diocese, which has promised . to make sure the funds are used to benefit the local community. Miss Course said detailed plans  have yet to be drawn up. She . said: ‘No decisions have been taken as to how the money will be spent. We don’t know if it will go on a single project or not but it will be . used for the church’s work in the community. Clearly it’s great news for . the church.’ Finders, keepers: After York police could find no criminal activity linked to the money, a court awarded it to the local church . And the local residents’ association has already begun discussing which local charities could benefit from the windfall. Martin . Crosby, chairman of The Groves association, said two worthy causes . include York Arc Light Project, which provides accommodation and support . for the homeless; and Door 84, a youth club which caters for eight to . 17-year-olds and also doubles as a broader community centre. The church hosts children’s play groups and has a vibrant student membership as it is close to York St John University. A . spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: ‘An investigation was . carried out to see if the money was linked to crime. No definite link to . crime has been established and there is insufficient evidence for the . money to be forfeited under the Proceeds of Crime Act.’ Earlier . this year a woman who forgot she left a bag containing £5,000 cash in a . church had it returned after six years. A parishioner found the bag on a . peg at the church in Brixham, Devon, and handed it into police. It was . then returned to owner Karen Griggs, 47.
A bin-bag with £100,000 in cash was left outside a church property .
After police found no criminal link, the money has gone to the church .
It is two-and-a-half times what the York church normally raise in a year .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:34 EST, 25 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:02 EST, 26 December 2013 . In a good year, when the sun shines on the summer fete and the congregation digs deep, one parish church can hope to collect up to £40,000. But as the Reverend and his flock rejoiced in the birth of Christ yesterday, they were also celebrating coming into almost three times that in one fell swoop. A bin bag containing £100,000 was found on the doorstep of a former vicarage owned by the St Thomas with St Maurice Church in York in August. Blessed gift: The Parish Church of St Thomas with St Maurice, in York, has been awarded £100,000 which was found outside one of its properties earlier this year . Four months later, a court has decided the sum should be given to the church, which plans to spend it on charitable causes. The . current occupier of the old vicarage building  found the bag on bin . collection day and did the honest thing by immediately handing it into . police. Officers launched an investigation into how the money came to be . dumped there and whether the bank notes were linked to criminal . activity. However, after . being unable to find any evidence of criminality, officers ruled that . the cash couldn’t be claimed as proceeds of crime. A . hearing was held at York Magistrates’ Court  to decide what should . happen to it and its ruling has been announced just in time for . Christmas. Eleanor Course, . the church diocese spokesman, said there was no dispute over who should . be awarded the funds and the person who found the cash didn’t contest . the church receiving it. She added: ‘It was just a matter of waiting for . the magistrates to decide.’ The award was officially made to the church . council of St Thomas with St Maurice under section one of the 1897 . Police Property Act. The . Act gives the public a route by which they can seek the return of . property and allows for the disposal of unclaimed property. Under the . law, if the owner of the property can’t be established, the magistrates . must decide what to do with it. Christmas bonus: The money is two-and-a-half times the £40,000 that St Thomas with St Maurice Church usually raises in income each year . Miss Course confirmed that the church was chosen by the court because it owns the property where the bag was left. Yesterday, . the church’s vicar, the Rev Philip Moore, declined to comment on the . good news and referred inquiries to the York diocese, which has promised . to make sure the funds are used to benefit the local community. Miss Course said detailed plans  have yet to be drawn up. She . said: ‘No decisions have been taken as to how the money will be spent. We don’t know if it will go on a single project or not but it will be . used for the church’s work in the community. Clearly it’s great news for . the church.’ Finders, keepers: After York police could find no criminal activity linked to the money, a court awarded it to the local church . And the local residents’ association has already begun discussing which local charities could benefit from the windfall. Martin . Crosby, chairman of The Groves association, said two worthy causes . include York Arc Light Project, which provides accommodation and support . for the homeless; and Door 84, a youth club which caters for eight to . 17-year-olds and also doubles as a broader community centre. The church hosts children’s play groups and has a vibrant student membership as it is close to York St John University. A . spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: ‘An investigation was . carried out to see if the money was linked to crime. No definite link to . crime has been established and there is insufficient evidence for the . money to be forfeited under the Proceeds of Crime Act.’ Earlier . this year a woman who forgot she left a bag containing £5,000 cash in a . church had it returned after six years. A parishioner found the bag on a . peg at the church in Brixham, Devon, and handed it into police. It was . then returned to owner Karen Griggs, 47.
found the cash didn’t contest . the church Christmas bonus: The money is two-and-a-half bag was left. Yesterday, . the church’s vicar, church.’ Finders, keepers: After York police could find no criminal activity linked to the bag containing £5,000 cash in a . church had it