Northampton: Former police officer reunited with stolen medal

The medal was returned to Geoffrey Barron (second left) and his wife Maureen by Dave Jordan (centre) and Ryan and Dean Davenport

An 82-year-old former police officer has been reunited with his stolen long service medal after magnet fishermen found it in a river.

The prized medal, presented to Geoffrey Barron, when he retired from Northamptonshire Police after 32 years, was stolen last year and he had given up hope of seeing it again

Fishermen who found it in the River Nene returned it to him on Saturday.

"It was wonderful," his wife Maureen said, "it is by his side now."

The medal was presented to former PC Geoffrey Barron, now 82, when he retired after 32 years

The medal, presented to PC Barron on his retirement at the age of 54, was taken with a number of other items when the Northampton home he shares with wife Maureen was ransacked in December.

It came to light after Dave Jordan decided to gather some fellow magnet fishermen together including his friends Dean Davenport and his teenage son Ryan, from Nottingham, and clear part of the River Nene in Northampton in October.

The medal had Mr Barron's name inscribed on it and they managed to track down the former officer.

Mrs Barron said the medal was returned to her husband in a bag by Ryan, who found it, and "both of them welled up".

"They were both quite emotional about it," she said.

"It had been the main thing playing on his mind after the [burglary].

"It's a bit battered and bruised but I will try to get it polished up and ribbons put back on it.

"It's a chance in a million that it was found [when you see] the amount of stuff that had to be moved because it is so small.

"It was obviously meant to be."

Dave Jordan and friends had been clearing the river of rubbish when they found the medal

Mr Jordan said it was "an amazing story" and Mr Barron had "properly hugged me and wouldn't let me go for a minute" when the medal was returned.

"I'm over the moon, it's such a heart-warming story, I nearly cried when I met him, it was just so happy," he said.

"Just to be able to do that for somebody is beyond measure.

"It's the reward for all the hard work we put in."

Geoffrey and Maureen Barron will be reunited with the medal at the weekend