A bride-to-be has become separated from her engagement ring – after throwing it into a charity collection bucket.

Police in the Mayo town of Westport are trying to re-unite the girl and the ring after the bizarre chain of events.

Local volunteer Robert Hunt spotted the diamond ring as he emptied a collection bucket for the Mayo Mountain Rescue.

He immediately contacted local police who have now issued an appeal for the owner of the ring to contact them.

Hunt revealed: “In my three years collecting for Mayo Mountain Rescue I’ve never come across anything like it.

“Amongst all the coins as they spilled from the bucket onto the coin counter I spotted something sparkling.

“It was glittering and shining. I knew immediately that I had hit on something that wasn’t supposed to be in the bucket.”

The police have decided not to reveal a full description of the ring according to the Irish Times.

Speaking to the paper, Hunt added: “The officers asked us not to give an exact description of the ring in case somebody other than the rightful owner tries to claim it.

“There is no doubt it is valuable. We have had the ring checked out with a jeweller and it’s the real thing alright, quite precious.”