A MAN is overjoyed at being reunited with his wedding ring after losing it during a trip to the beach.

Malcolm Bateup, 51, who lives in Shoreham with his 46-year-old wife Nicola Anne, were both devastated when they discovered Malcolm’s wedding ring had slipped off during a swim off Shoreham beach last Sunday.

Malcolm said: “My wife and I got married last year with “his and her” rings.

“I don’t have that much money so I thought that was it, we are going to have to make do without.”

The job of finding a ring on a beach is comparable to finding a needle in a haystack – but luckily for the pair, a Facebook post on a local group showed there were many who were more than happy to help with the task.

To reunite Malcolm with the ring, the Shoreham community came together with dog walkers, runners, cyclists, and even a seven-year-old with a toy metal detector taking up the job of trawling the beach for the prized possession.

But despite the immense help from fellow residents, Malcolm believed his wedding ring was “lost forever” owing to a high tide during the search.

Incredibly one man and his metal detector pulled off the impossible task.

After three days of searching, Malcolm heard the words he had been longing to hear.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” said a metal detecting enthusiast called Mark Crane who was holding up the gold band in his hand.

Malcolm said: “I was so emotional, I had given up all hope of finding it. The moment I realised he had it, I ran over and gave him a hug.

Now happily reunited with his ring, Malcolm is keen to thank not only Mr Crane, but also the community of Shoreham who banded together for the search.

“Malcolm said: “Thank God it was found, I just feel so blessed.

“I’m so touched by the human kindness and local community of Shoreham who all rallied around to help me find this precious ring. I lost the ring around the time of the World Cup so I’ve been telling everyone, football isn’t coming home, but my wedding ring is.”