Metal detectorist reunites woman with late mother’s engagement and wedding rings

A metal detectorist has reunited a woman with her late mother's promise, engagement and wedding rings.

Tessa Le Gallez was "devastated" when her necklace chain (which held the rings) broke while she was swimming at Les Amarreurs beach in Guernsey on 20 August.

She called a local metal detectorist Matthew Kneebone, 50, and asked if he could help her get the heirlooms back which had made her "feel close" to her mum.

Matthew, a stonemason, told her he would be able to find the lost rings when there was a spring tide again.

Read more: Beginner metal detectorist finds Civil War coins worth £24,000

Two weeks later, on 1 September, Matthew and Tessa headed back down to the beach.

Within ten minutes, Matthew had found the chain and within half-an-hour all of the heirlooms had been found.

Tessa, an office manager, said: "My mum passed away in April and it was her wish that I had her rings.

"I put it on a strong chain around my neck because sometimes in the cold your fingers shrink and you can lose your rings.

"I went swimming and by complete freak accident, my dog jumped on me and his claw got caught in the chain. It took all of his weight and snapped.”

Read more: Detectorists strike gold as hoard of 600 medieval coins worth £150k is declared treasure

When reacting to finding the rings, Tessa added: "I was elated. I couldn't have been any happier. It was such a relief. Those rings mean the world to me and they're incredibly sentimental.

"I'll never be able to thank him enough and I'll always be grateful. He's the most selfless man I've ever met in his life and people like him make the world a better place."

Matthew, who has been metal detecting since he was 14, said: "Tessa was very grateful and so emotional. She ran up to me and gave me a big hug.

"It's a really good feeling when you manage to find something for someone."

Can you keep what you find?

If you come across items that do not belong to you in a public place, you should hand them to the police or a lost property office.

If the individual who misplaced the items has not retrieved them from the police station or lost property office within two months, you may be eligible to claim them.

It’s a criminal offence to keep something that doesn't belong to you knowingly.

What is treasure?

Under The Treasure Act, which applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, an item is treasure if it is at least 200 years old, regardless of the type of metal they are made of.

Treasure is owned by the Crown when found and a person who finds an object they believe to be treasure must notify the relevant authorities within 14 days.

This includes a local museum, local council archaeologist or the Treasure Trove Unit at the National Museums of Scotland.

If a coroner assesses an artefact as meeting the legal definition of treasure, it can be acquired by a museum rather than sold to the highest bidder.