Newly-weds delighted after lost ring found in Windermere

A diver has reunited a newly-wed couple with a wedding ring which was lost in the water in Windermere on the day they were married.

Mick and Annabelle Balchin got married at Town Head Estate in the Lake District on Thursday.

The couple and guests took an evening swim after the ceremony and Mr Balchin felt his wedding ring slide off his finger when he jumped into the water.

Diver Angus Hosking retrieved the ring from the lake the following morning.

Mrs Balchin, from Sedbergh, said the couple were "over the moon."

"On Thursday it was 33C so us and all our guests decided to go for a dip in the evening," she said.

"We were all jumping in off the jetty and my husband didn't take his wedding ring off. When he was jumping in, it slid right off - he felt it slide off when he jumped off the jetty.

"We tried not to panic too much, but it cost us quite a bit of money, we had it engraved, and it's the sentimental value that came with it."

Mr Hosking, who is a volunteer with Lake District Diving, found the ring "within minutes" and the couple said they would be "forever grateful" to him.

It is the latest in a line of sentimental finds recovered by Mr Hosking and his friend Declan Turner, who carry out underwater litter picks and are often called upon to retrieve lost possessions.

In May they found a ring belonging to a newly-engaged couple.

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].