Jewellery found in Rochdale canal reunited with owner months after being stolen

One of the photos on the USB stick - the owners of the stolen jewellery

Jewellery and sentimental items found in the Rochdale canal by a magnet fisher have been reunited with their rightful owner in Halifax, months after they were stolen.

Scott Bryant, from Castleton, found the jewellery earlier this year when magnet fishing on Rochdale canal, along with a USB stick and an engraved mirror, given as a 50th birthday present.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/128726/magnet-fisher-hopes-to-reunite-found-jewellery-with-owner

After launching an appeal to reunite the items with their owner, Scott contacted the Sydney Bridge Climbing Centre in Australia as a last resort, as a photo on the USB held pictures of a lady celebrating her 50th birthday there.

Scott said: “After several emails with the centre, they went to the picture department to trace the people in the photo.

“I then received a message from a gentleman via social media to say the centre had been in contact about the missing USB. After some communication, it was clear it was the man in the picture and his wife, we met at a mutual place and I returned their items.

“They were gobsmacked because some of the things were really sentimental to them.”

As the items were stolen earlier this year, there is currently an ongoing police investigation.

Scott took up the hobby of magnet fishing in late 2018, after his stepson introduced him to the activity.

His hobby previously enabled him to reunite a recovered safe stolen in an armed robbery in Whitworth over 10 years ago with its owner.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/126141/safe-fished-out-of-rochdale-canal-reunited-with-owner-a-decade-after-being-stolen-in-armed-robbery