A pensioner who handed in nearly USD 15,000 cash to police after finding it on the street was astounded when she received a brand new SUV as a reward.

Honest Diane Gordon, 65, had been forced to give up her own car a year ago because she couldn’t afford to get it repaired.

Now Diane – from White Lake Township, in Michigan state, USA – has been handed the keys to a top-of-the-range Jeep Compass.

She told local media: “I am floored. I am having a hard time keeping it in. I am just so excited.”

Diane had been walking home from her job at supermarket on 21st January when she saw a plastic bag on the pavement.

As she picked it up she was astonished to find it stuffed full of banknotes worth USD 14,7800 (GBP 12,226)

She said: “I looked down on the ground and found a plastic bag with a large sum of money in it.

“When you turned it over, there was even more money.”

The gran-of-two immediately turned it into police who discovered the cash belonged to a young couple who’d been married just hours earlier.

White Lake Township Police Chief Dan Keller said: “There were wedding cards with a name on it, and we were able to get the money back to them.

“She didn’t hesitate; she didn’t question it. This doesn’t happen very often, that someone finds a large sum of money and turns it in.”

Amazed by her honesty, police officer’s wife Stacy Connell set up a GoFundMe appeal to raise cash to buy Diane a new car.

The appeal has reportedly raised more than USD 78,000 (GBP 64,446) as of Wednesday afternoon, 8th February.

Now Connell has surprised Diane with a green Jeep Compass 4X4.

Diane said: “I absolutely love it. It’s got a steering wheel warmer and a backup camera; all things I’ve never had before.”

Gordon claimed that she will put the new vehicle in good use and offer rides to her friends , and added: “I’ll give them a ride home and pay it forward.”