A DETERMINED metal dectorist has reunited a woman with a much-loved ring she lost while gardening.

Keith Brown answered the desperate plea for help from Jenny, of Cattistock, who inherited the ring from her late mother.

The heirloom is thought to be a Victorian-era gold and diamond encrusted ring with considerable sentimental value.

Following its loss, Jenny's family searched for days with no luck so got in touch with Keith, of Weymouth and Portland Metal Detecting Club.

Keith said: “I was happy to take a look and duly turned up with my metal detecting equipment. As I was setting up my metal detector Jenny went indoors and within minutes I had already found an out of circulation decimal £1 coin, a small copper alloy harness ring and a copper nail.

“And then I found what I was looking for – the ring.

“When Jenny came back out into the garden, I opened one hand with the junk in it and she looked and sighed, then I opened my other hand with her beautiful gold and diamond ring in it and she was jumping up and down with excitement and hugged me.

"It was so heart-warming to see her and her husband's reaction as she placed the ring back on her finger.”

Keith added: “I love metal detecting on farmland, and it gives me great enjoyment in finding, and indeed saving, England's history from being lost forever.

“To detect and recover coins and artefacts that have lain hidden beneath our feet for hundreds or even thousands of years is an amazing feeling, but I have to say, the finding and returning of someone's recent loss of a valuable, precious or sentimental item like Jenny's ring is equally rewarding.”

The ring was given to Jenny by her mother on her 40th birthday and she has worn it every day since.

Jenny said: “She died in 1981, it’s the only thing I’ve really got left of her, I was devastated.”

When Keith showed her the recovered ring, Jenny said: “I immediately threw my arms around him, I don’t normally do things like that.”