The 49-year-old from Soest, near Dortmund in Germany, had kept the cash in the boiler because it was no longer used.

But last Christmas he asked his friend to check in on his workshop while he was away for a fortnight.

Unaware of the contents of the boiler and worried that the falling temperature might cause the pipes to freeze, the friend fired the heater up and burned most of the money.

Only €20,400 was saved, according to a report in Bild.

The man sued his friend for the money but a judge dismissed the action, which has now been appealed.

It is also reported that the local tax office has taken an interest in the case – asking where all the cash came from in the first place.