A couple from the UK has reignited hope in humanity, especially for one woman in particularly, after they returned a bag containing €7,000 (AUD $11,323.90) that they found while holidaying in Greece.

Jessica Frank, 22, and Edward Gibson, 24, were in Crete when they found the small bag with the large sum on the street.

“We were walking past a couple of small souvenir shops when I kicked something that looked like a little bag, a bit like a make up bag, with my foot,” said Jessica.

“When we opened the bag – I can’t really explain what it was like. There was just money all wrapped in elastic bands.”

The 22-year-old said their first thought was to take it to the local police station, and that’s exactly what they did.

“We took a taxi and handed it in. They counted it in front of us and it came to around €7,100. We knew there was a lot in there, but that much – it was so unexpected,” she said.

The couple then went back to their hotel room, where they soon received a phone call from the police requesting they return to the station – they had tracked down the owner of the money, a local shopkeeper who had accidentally dropped her takings. She wanted to meet the couple who had saved the day.

“We got to the police station and they said ‘someone wants to meet you’,” said Jessica.

“There was this little old lady just sat there – she was so emotional. She kept hugging us and blessing us with good luck for the rest of our lives. She owned a few little shops and the money was her takings, it was a lot of money to her.”

As a gesture of thanks, the shopkeeper asked the couple to come into her shop to choose a gift for themselves. But Jessica and Edward politely declined the offer, stating that they never expected anything in return for their actions.

Asked whether they had considered keeping the money, Jessica is adamant the thought never crossed their minds.

“Not one bit of us, neither me nor Edward, thought ‘let’s keep it,’” she said.

“We just took it straight away to the police station.”