GAZETTE & HERALD: Treasure hunter Tony Mims wants townspeople to help him unlock the history behind a silver medieval ring he discovered on a Malmesbury farm.

Mr Mims, a 48-year-old lorry driver from Pinewood Way, Colerne, unearthed the 15th century ring with his metal detector in August 2003.

He knew instantly it was special, and tomorrow a treasure inquest will judge if a Devizes museum should buy it for the public.

Mr Mims said: "I found it on a farm outside Malmesbury. The farmer has lots of fields and this was the last one I tried. He told me there had been a medieval village down there, and straight away I found a brooch. About 6ft away, I found the ring about three or four inches down the soil. It was tarnished but knew right away it was unusual because silver rings are rare."

Mr Mims has been metal detecting since 1974 and says it gives him a real buzz.

But the former soldier who belonged to the Royal Corps Transport and Army Physical Training Corps, only really started finding treasure after changing careers to become an HGV lorry driver in 1997.

Since then he has found coins, and buckles dating from the Roman and Medieval eras.

But he insists he doesn't do it for the money.

He said: "I do it purely for pleasure. I like history and it's nice to find things that have been untouched for thousands of years. It gives me a real buzz when I find something, and I am always looking for new land on which to metal detect.

"I have got lots of finds in the Malmesbury area. My metal detector makes a nice crisp beep when it finds something, When I found the ring, I told the farmer who owns the land and gave it to the Devizes museum where it was recorded as treasure trove. The ring has initials and a seal which means a merchant owned it. I would love to know who the owner was especially if it was someone famous."

Metal detecting is becoming more and more popular says Mr Mims.

He said it is important to get permission from the land owner before treasure hunting.