A woman has been reunited with her wedding ring thanks to treasure hunters.

Jane Etheridge spent days planting, unplanting and replanting after losing her gold ring while doing the gardening.

The mum-of-three, and Medway councillor, did not realise the treasured jewellery was lost until she hasd finished a day of green-fingered work and looked down at her hands en route to the shops.

Distressed, she emptied the garden bin and sifted through the prunings, before digging up the flower beds.

She said: “I didn’t know if it had been thrown off, I get a bit cross with slugs and snails so I was concerned it could have landed anywhere.”

Husband Gary contacted a Gillingham-based metal detecting club whose members came to the rescue.

Geoffrey Henne initially had no luck but Darren Branstone and Nick Rolfe followed with slightly different equipment and found the prized item in the flower beds within 15 minutes.

Coincidentally, their success came just as the BBC launched a new series Detectorists, starring Kent actor Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones as friends who go in search of their hearts’ desire with a couple of metal detectors.

Cllr Etheridge, who has five grandchildren and two step-grandchildren, had to have her original wedding ring cut off during pregnancy.

For years she couldn’t find one she liked as much but last year Mr Etheridge gave her with a Welsh gold ring and they will celebrate 40 years of marriage in 2015 having met through friends in 1974. She added: “I really love the ring and couldn’t believe I’d lost it after so little time.

“People metal detecting often get a bad name by trespassing and digging up people’s land without permission, but this group are serious collectors and they did me a great service.”

Mr Branstone, of Leslie Road, Gillingham, has been detecting since he was 16. Now 52, he said: “It’s good to be able to help people.”