A grandmother has praised the community spirit in Norfolk after an 18-carat gold wedding ring she lost on a beach was found by a metal detectorist.
Ingrid Fleetcroft, from Northrepps, was frantic after she dropped the ring on New Year's Eve while walking at Overstrand beach.
The 66-year-old grandmother of 11 said it fell into the sea on the slipway on the south end of the beach towards Sidestrand, at about 3.30pm.
The ring, which is engraved inside, Martin to Ingrid 29/3/1975, was found by metal detectorist Steve Sandeel, who responded to her appeal for help on social media.
She said: 'It's an amazing story, unbelievable. The community rallied round to help me find it. I was blown away by the response.
'If you had seen that tide with those waves when I lost the ring, you would not believe it could be found. I thought I had lost it. I cannot tell you how happy I am.'
She was walking with husband Martin, 67, and five members of their family when she lost the ring.
She added: 'It fell off my finger and rolled down the exposed slipway. The tide was in. My husband and I returned later, after the tide had dropped, and spent about an hour looking for it, before posting an appeal on social media.'
The couple, who are both retired teachers, were married in Exeter and lived in Lincolnshire, before moving to Northrepps three years ago.
She added: 'The ring was too loose on my finger and I should have been wearing gloves. We bought it for £36 in Samuels in Exeter High Street in 1974.'
Mr Sandeel, from Cromer, who works for Windboats Marine in North Walsham, said: 'I saw her post. Metal tends to stay with metal. I found it five inches below the surface, about 25ft from where she lost it.
'I have been metal detecting on that beach since I was about 14, and now I'm 54. It took me about an hour to find it. I also found a few coins, an old cap badge, several bullets and a shell casing.'
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