Appeal to find owner of wedding ring found in lake

Tim Clouter was looking for a different ring which is still missing

A group wants to reunite a wedding ring, found at the bottom of a lake, with its owner.

It was discovered in Clevedon Marine Lake in Somerset, when it was drained for cleaning and lost property was retrieved.

Volunteer Tim Clouter, from the charity that maintains the lake, found it, although he was looking for a different ring which is still missing.

He said it would be "lovely" to be able to hand it back to its owner.

Mr Clouter, a member of Marlens (Marine Lake Enthusiasts), said he had been looking for a ring a man lost while swimming.

"He knew roughly where it was. It was by the steps where people get in.

The lake was drained to allow seaweed to be cleaned off the steps and railings

"I saw a ring glistening. It was sitting in a crack in the rocks.

"Unfortunately I think somebody had stood on it because it's slightly bent."

He said when he handed it over "his face dropped because it wasn't his".

"It's quite common to find rings in the lake, believe or not.

"You get people who have had an acrimonious split with their partner and decide to thrown the thing in.

Volunteers helped to clean the lake

"If he genuinely lost it, it would be nice [to reunite it with its owner]."

Other items found at the bottom of the popular swimming spot were shoes, flippers, goggles and a mobile phone.

Marlens chair, Joe Norman, added: "Lake drain-downs are an essential part of keeping our lake in tip-top condition, and it's always immensely gratifying to see people reunited with items like wedding rings."

The lake was drained to allow seaweed to be cleaned off the steps and railings, maintenance work to be carried out and the water changed.

The community tidal pool was refilled again with 30 million litres of water from the Severn Estuary on Thursday evening.