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Magnet fishermen catch a stolen moped in broad
Matt Miller and Matt Leggett, the Dippy Detectorists, with a moped they saved from Oulton Broad - Credit: Dippy Detectorists
A moped hire firm has two magnet fishermen to thank after the pair saved one of its fleet from a watery grave.
Matt Miller and Matt Leggett, collectively known as the Dippy Detectorists, took up the hobby several years ago, chronicling their finds on YouTube and social media.
In the past they have fished all kinds of weird and wonderful things from the waters of Norfolk and Waveney, including, in 2019, a sawn-off shotgun in the Wensum.
Matt Miller and Matt Leggett, the Dippy Detectorists - Credit: Dippy Detectorists
And on Sunday, May 9, they caught their largest find yet - a Honda Vision 110CC moped belonging to Dereham-based hire firm Scoots-Hire, which they found submerged in Oulton Broad.
Mr Miller, 26, originally from Spixworth but now of Aylsham, said: "It was quite early in the morning. We met up at about 5.30am and spotted it beneath the surface.
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"Leggett looked down and said 'there's something big there'. We managed to get our magnets on it, but also needed the help of a hook, which we got around the spokes of one of the wheels."
The Honda Vision 110CC moped being pulled out of the water - Credit: Dippy Detectorists
The pair were then able to successfully winch the moped out of the water, before alerting the police to their find.
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Mr Miller added: "Ordinarily we take away the pieces of scrap metal we find, but it in good enough condition that we thought it best to report it in case it was stolen."
The police were then able to trace the moped to Scoots-Hire and the company was able to restore it to working order.
"When we were contacted by the company to say they had restored it I thought 'you must be joking'," Mr Miller added.
The Dippy Detectorists pull a moped out of the water - Credit: Dippy Detectorists
Barry Lynes, of Scoots-Hire, said it cost around £700 to repair the scooter - considerably less than the near £2,500 cost of replacing it.
Barry Lynes, of Scoot-Hire in Dereham - Credit: Colin Finch
He said: "It was reported as stolen to us on the Saturday and we thought that would probably be the last we saw of it. But when we got it back it was just a case of replacing the battery, draining the fluids from it and giving it a good check over and it was good to go.
"We're fantastically grateful."
