METAL detecting enthusiast Mick Green put his search skills to good use – to reunite a devastated husband with a missing wedding ring.

Mr Green, 54 was on holiday in Hunstanton, Norfolk when he came across the valuable find.

He was using his metal detector on one of the resort’s wide, flat beaches when he found the ring buried in the sand.

When he got home to Morley Hill, Stanford-le-hope, he phoned a Norfolk newspaper to appeal for the owner.

A few days later, Hunstanton man Nick Maiden called, described the inscription on the ring and was reunited with it.

Mr Green, a programmes manager for Ford Dunton, said: “It’s not that unusual to find a ring or items of jewellery, so I brought it home with me.

“I sat down and saw the ring had an inscription on it, reading “forever yours”.

“I realised whoever had lost it would be pretty upset.

“I contacted the local newspaper in the resort and asked it to put in an appeal for the owner.

“A few days later, a man called Nick phoned. He told me about the inscription, word for word, and said it was his wedding ring and he’d lost it three weeks earlier.

“I sent the ring off registered post. He got the ring back the day before his first wedding anniversary, so it was perfect timing.”

Mr Green said Mr Maiden had offered a reward, but he had turned him down.

“I was just glad to see the ring reunited with its rightful owner,” he explained.

“If it had been me I like to think someone would have done the same.”

Mr Maiden, 41 and wife Victoria, 22 are thrilled to be reunited with the ring.

Mr Maiden said: “We went back to the beach a few times to see if we could find it, but we thought it was gone for ever.

“Then, when we got it back again, we were both so happy.”

Over the years, Mr Green has had some interesting finds while scouring woodland and beaches with his trusty metal detector.

He said: “I’ve found medieval and Roman coins from this area. It’s a really interesting hobby.”