Ring lost 12 years ago found on home-grown carrot

A gold ring lost in the owner’s garden has been dug up 12 years later on the end of a home-grown carrot.

Lin Keitch, from Monkton Heathfield near Taunton, Somerset, was given the gold ring with a heart-shaped amethyst stone by her husband Dave for her 40th birthday 29 years ago.

But “it later became too small for her so she gave it to her daughter Sarah, 37, who lost it in the garden in 2006”, reports The Sun.

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Keitch told the paper: “Dave dug up the carrots and threw them in a tub outside the back door without noticing anything.”

“I cut the greens off and scrubbed them, and I thought, ‘What’s that? Goodness, it's my ring’.”

She said: “The carrot had grown into the ring. It must be a chance in a million. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

Keitch told the BBC that even though the ring, with an amethyst stone in the centre, was covered in earth she recognised it immediately.

“Dave had bought it for me for my 40th birthday, but when it got too small for me I gave it to our daughter.”

“She lost it up the garden - it must be at least 12 years ago. I thought I'd never see it again. I'm amazed the carrot grew through it.”

Dave Keitch said he had looked for the ring regularly over the years “every time I do the garden over”.

“She doesn't know whether to give it back to the daughter in case she loses it again, or keep it herself,” he said.

According to the Daily Mail the couple are treating themselves to a new car for Lin’s 70th birthday.

“We'll have to make sure we don't lose that,” she quipped.