A SWINDON man who found a wedding ring in fields near Purton says curses on finds are the stuff of myths and legends.

Mark Gillett, 42, from Haydon Wick found the 500-year old ring during the spring of 2003 in a field he had been meticulously scanning with his metal detector for several months.

He said: "There are certainly some that say that there are bad vibes attached to certain objects, particularly rings because they are a personal object.

"I have read many stories which seem to add a Lord of the Rings feel to finds saying that rings have some sort of power, especially if their owners were murdered or something.

"I don't think this is the case with the ring I found. I think it was probably lost by it simply slipping off someone's finger by accident or being pulled off and thrown in a fit of rage."

It follows the discovery of another ring in October 2001 by 38-year-old Peter Cawley of Avebury Trusloe.

He found a 350-year-old posy ring inscribed with the words "Noe recompense but love" during an unauthorised search of grassland in the famous World Heritage site.

But just days after digging up the old gold ring, he died of severe head injuries, under mysterious circumstances lying in the road near his home.

However his mother Joan Cawley later ruled out any mysterious goings on with the ring, saying it was merely coincidence.

Mr Gillett said: "Previous cases where someone died after finding a ring are purely coincidence.

"But I have heard people say they have felt a sense of dj vu while digging up items like coins and I think on one or two occasions that's happened to me, where I have found coins and have thought, I have done this before. But I have never experienced a bad vibe from a find."

At an inquest in Swindon, Wiltshire coroner David Masters declared the 15th century gold ring found by Mr Gillett was treasure trove as it had more than the 10 per cent precious metal content needed for treasure.

The ring, which is expected to go to the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes, has the words "toute ma vie" Latin French for 'all my life' inscribed in the inside, which had led to suggestions that it might have been a wedding ring possibly for a rich lord or lady of the manor.

Mr Gillett has found a number of items over the years including bronze rings and a variety of coins, many of which are on display in museums across the county.

Anthony Osborne