New Forest metal detectorist's appeal to find owner of wedding ring

A metal detectorist is appealing for help to track down the owner of a wedding ring he found in the New Forest.

Geoff Lai, from Sway, Hampshire, discovered the gold band in a field in the village.

It is inscribed with the names Ann and John, and the date 19 September 1964.

Of the owner, Mr Lai said: "He must have been so sad when he lost it, either that or he was really happy to deliberately throw it away."

He said he had to consider the latter as a "possibility".

But he added: "It would just make me so happy if I could reunite it."

Mr Lai, who was with his eight-year-old son Reeve when he found the ring, said: "There's a good chance that I might be able to find [the owner], that they're still alive or I can at least give it to any surviving relations."

He added: "I've looked at marriage records of Johns and Anns, I've reached out on social media."

A Facebook post about the ring has been shared almost 900 times.

Mr Lai said he had also spoken to the landowner but they had not recognised it.

Earlier this month, a husband who lost his wedding band in 2015 in Christchurch was reunited with the ring after it was discovered by workmen replacing groynes on the Dorset coast.