Paul Bishop, 63, of Stalybridge, England, said he was out celebrating a friend's 50th birthday in Benidorm, Spain, 11 years ago when he had a bit too much to drink and found himself with the urgent need to vomit.

"As we were leaving, I noticed this big green bottle bin so sloshed it all out," Bishop told the Manchester Evening News.

Bishop said he didn't realise until arriving at the next bar that his top dentures were missing. He and his friends went back to search the bin, but had no success.

"We went back but there were hundreds of bottles in there," he recalled.

Bishop said he was shocked to receive a package this week from Spanish authorities. The package contained Bishop's missing dentures, along with a letter explaining that they had been in storage for "many years" before being sent for a DNA test to find their owner.

"I didn't know I was even on a DNA database but I did a voluntary swab years ago so it must have been from that," Bishop told Sky News. "From there they have got in touch with the British embassy and found my address. I've changed address three times since that holiday. I'm amazed they've taken the time to find me and post them back."

UPI