WEDDING RING LOST IN TRIP TO SKIP

A REGULAR recycler lost more than he bargained for when he chucked his heirloom wedding ring into a nine-tonne skip.

The accident happened when Darren Higham had taken a mid-week trip to the skip to off load fencing wood at the Household Waste Recycling Centre, in Princes Drive, Leamington.

But along with fencing wood, he accidently threw in his 70-year-old wedding band that had been passed down to him from his grandfather.

The 43-year-old, of Stretton Crescent, Whitnash, said: “I was a bit energetic with my last throw and my wedding ring slipped off my finger and straight into the skip.

“I left my name and contact details with staff there in case they were able to find it.

“I was told the skip would go to Derby the next day so I wasn’t too hopeful.

“I was absolutely devastated, I thought to myself I’ll never see that again.”

Darren, who has been married for 14 years and has two children, then went into hospital the following day to have surgery done to his shoulder.

“I had lost the ring betrothed to me by my beloved and also belonged to my grandad.

“So while I was lying in the hospital bed I had all sorts of thoughts going through my mind, such as if I was to die my wife wouldn’t even have my ring to remember me by.”

But two days later Darren received some good news – his ring had been found.

Staff at the recycling centre had rummaged around the skip for two days and had found his precious wedding band.

“I know the ring could easily be replaced with another from a shop but it wouldn’t be the same,” added Darren, who works at Higham Butchers, in St Margaret’s Road.

“I am very grateful to the team for taking the time out to look for it.”

Mickey Pitcher, 27, a recycling operative, said: “We dug around through about nine tonnes of wood over two days and then we found it.

“It’s not something we would usually do but we try our best to help.

“It was a relief when we finally got it because that meant we could stop going through a massive skip.”

To say thank you, Darren gave barbeque meat packs to the team.