Missing museum sign found across Irish Sea

A museum sign missing for more than five years has been discovered washed up across the Irish Sea.

Jonny Smith and his seven-year-old daughter were walking along the coast near Bangor in Northern Ireland when they spotted a bit of wood which turned out to be a sign for The Dock Museum.

After an internet search, they realised The Dock Museum was in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

Museum manager John Irving said staff had "burst out laughing" when they received an email from Mr Smith revealing the find.

"It was such a gorgeous story," Mr Irving said. "I've been here five years and I've never seen that sign, so it's got to [have been missing for] over five years."

The sign is in the shape of an arrow, with the The Dock Museum and 0.5km written on it.

"I'll be using those sign writers again, it's in good nick," Mr Irving said, having seen how well it had been preserved.

The museum team believe a storm must have dislodged the sign and it ended up in the sea.

Mr Smith said his daughter was "over the moon about" the discovery.

"I originally thought it maybe came from Belfast," he said. "Even if it had come from Belfast that would have been quite a journey - we're talking seven or eight miles."

His daughter was the one who suggested they contact the museum to try to get the sign back to them.

The plan is for them to travel over to Cumbria to hand it back in person.

"It's a good excuse to come to Cumbria, I've always wanted to come to Cumbria," Mr Smith said. "It seems like a beautiful part of the world."

Mr Irving said The Dock Museum would give Mr Smith and his daughter "VIP treatment" and the story would eventually appear somewhere in the museum.

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