Message in a bottle 'returns' to Jersey beach 82 years later

The note asks the finder to reply to John Stapleford "with a photograph"

A message in a bottle has washed up on the same shores it is thought to have started its journey from 82 years ago.

Nigel Hill was walking his dog on a beach in St Aubin, Jersey, when he stumbled upon the glass bottle on Tuesday morning.

A note inside - dated 1938 - asks the finder to "communicate" with a man called John Stapleford.

It appears on the back of a cake box, which can be traced to the once Jersey-based company Cawley Bros.

People investigating the bottle said that led them to believe the note had originated from the island and they had guessed it was sent by Mr Stapleford, who was curious about whether anyone would find it.

The message includes an address for Mr Stapleford in Hertfordshire.

Mr Hill said the discovery had prompted him to track down the relatives of Mr Stapleford, adding the support from people in Jersey had been "overwhelming".

Jersey resident, Phil Le Cheminant, said "incredible records" revealed Mr Stapleford had been a civil servant.

Why he was in Jersey remains "a part of the puzzle we are yet to solve", said Mr Le Cheminant.