A MUM who accidentally threw her £3,000 diamond engagement ring in the bin was overjoyed when staff at her local recycling centre plucked it out from piles of rubbish.

It might have been like looking for a needle in a haystack, but determined tip workers Rhys Lloyd and Darren Bill trawled through hundreds of bags at Five Lanes recycling centre in Caldicot to reunite Jo Carter with the ring.

The 36-year-old was heartbroken when she realised on Saturday (October 12) that the precious keepsake had been dumped in a bin bag with the old candle holder she kept it in.

It had been taken to the tip with 15 other black bags from her Caldicot home, and all hope seemed lost.

But husband Craig, 38, headed to the tip next day and thanks to Rhys and Darren the ring was finally recovered after 45 minutes rummaging through the rubbish.

Mrs Carter told the BBC: “It has huge sentimental value and is also very expensive and not insured.

“This morning my husband Craig went to the tip and two amazing human beings trawled through hundreds of bags to find it. Their kindness and good hearts have had me in tears.”

She added: “I don’t normally wear it – it’s too big. I’ve lost 10 stone since I had it and haven’t worn it for a long time. It was at my mother’s for years, but she gave it back to me a few months ago.”

Jo kept the ring in an old candle in her bathroom, but threw that out without remembering the ring was in it.

“Then in the evening it dawned on me. I said to my husband ‘Oh my God, it’s in the candle, I’ve binned the candle’,” she added.

“By the time I realised, the tip had shut. My husband called last night and they said they couldn’t promise but to show up in the morning.

“In all honesty I didn’t think they’d find it, I spent most of the evening crying.”

“But Craig knew which bag it was in because it had all the things from the bathroom cupboard,” Mrs Carter said.

“When they found that bag they carefully put all the contents out.”

The couple thanked the Monmouthsire County Council employees, and said it showed the local community “at its best”.

“I thank them from the bottom of my heart. What a community we live in.

“Thank you Rhys and Darren,” said Jo, who bought the workers a box of beer each, a £25 food voucher and a £10 scratchcard.

She added: “I’m going to give the ring back to my mum now – she’s more sensible.”

Monmouthshire Council Cabinet member for Infrastructure and Neighbourhood Services, Cllr Jane Pratt, said: “I am exceptionally proud of our staff at our Five Lanes Household Waste and Recycling Centre for helping bring a happy ending to this story.

“This is an excellent example of our staff going above and beyond to help our community. Well done.”