Bournemouth beach and pier, Lewis Clarke, geograph.org.uk via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
A Bournemouth detectorist who finds lost property for free has reached his 500th recovery: an engagement ring thrown during an argument, found sitting on top of a hedge.
Darren Wiles took up metal detecting in 2009 and later set up a free service finding things people have lost. He thought nobody would use it. Instead he has become steadily busier, and is often out on the beaches and streets of Dorset looking for rings, phones and keys.
His 500th recovery was a first even for him. Abi Colborne had taken off her engagement ring and thrown it during an argument. Everyone assumed it had cleared a bush and landed on the ground near her partner, so Mr Wiles searched all around it, without success. He decided to give it one last try, ran his detector over the top of the bush, and got a signal.
Standing on a wheelie bin, he used a handheld detector to find the exact spot, and there was the ring, caught in the top of the hedge. He had to lift it out carefully so that it didn't drop to the bottom. Ms Colborne said she was delighted, and would not be throwing it again.
Mr Wiles charges nothing. People who want to can make a donation, which goes to Meredith's Mission, a local children's cancer charity, and his searches have raised more than £1,100 for it so far.
He says he used to detect for coins and history, but returning things to the people who lost them is what he enjoys now: seeing how devastated someone is, and then how happy, never gets old.
Reported by BBC News (20 July 2026). Written for Global Finds from that report. Photo: Bournemouth beach and pier, Lewis Clarke, geograph.org.uk via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Those four are for England and Wales, where the Portable Antiquities Scheme records finds and the Treasure Act decides what must be reported.
Scotland runs its own system, and every find is reportable there — not only treasure. Treasure Trove Unit ›
The Republic of Ireland is different again, and severely so. Searching for archaeological objects without the Minister’s written consent is a criminal offence carrying fines or imprisonment, and the definition is broad enough to cover coins, buttons and buckles of almost any age. Do not assume British rules travel with you. The law, from the National Museum ›
Northern Ireland is stricter still. The Treasure Act applies and finds go to National Museums NI within fourteen days, but any searching that involves digging — metal detecting expressly included — needs a licence, and licences are only granted for archaeological projects. National Museums NI ›
This site covers discoveries from all over the world, and so does the variation in the law — from a recording scheme that thanks you, to a criminal offence. Wherever you are searching, find out what applies there before you go, not after.
