Magician Alfred Hill's prop recovered from River Wear

The horseshoes were recovered using a powerful magnet

A street magician's treasured prop has been recovered from the River Wear by well-wishers.

Alfred Hill, 73, was performing on Durham's Framwellgate Bridge when a drunken man took his horseshoe puzzle and hurled it into the water.

On hearing of his plight, Jonathan Lambert, his father Michael and friend Robert Chappell trawled the river using a powerful magnet.

The puzzle, thrown into the water on 1 October, was recovered on Sunday.

It was handed over to police before it was returned to Mr Hill.

Jonathan, Michael and Robert travelled from Esh Winning with a rope and a magnet to search for the puzzle from the river bank.

Mr Hill can be seen to the right performing moments before he was approached by revellers

Following their success, Jonathan's mother Catherine said: "Their faces lit up when they found it.

"They felt so happy to make Alf the magician happy."

Mr Hill, who wears a special balloon hat, had owned the puzzle for 30 years and described it as "very special".

He said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to have it back - and it still works."

Alfred Hill was left distraught at the loss of the prop he had owned for 30 years