A man who uses a magnet to search for metal in canals was shocked to pull out a gun.
Chris Wilkinson pulled out what appeared to be a revolver during a magnet fishing trip to a section of canal just off Leeds Road in Huddersfield.
The 60-year-old from Batley briefly considered keeping the gun but said he quickly came to his senses and decided to hand it in to West Yorkshire Police. He handed it over to the police in Dewsbury and was told by a police officer that the gun would be examined by armed officers and then handed over to crime scene investigators for further analysis. Chris said the Dewsbury officer told him that the gun appeared to be ‘real’ and not a toy or a replica. “The police were thankful to me for bringing it in.”
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Chris said he took up magnet fishing around a year ago when he realised he needed a hobby. Five years ago he gave up alcohol for good and says he feels proud to be teetotal.
He bought a ‘medium-sized’ magnet and some rope and began magnet fishing at various canal locations in Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Bradford.
Chris told YorkshireLive: “I started about a year ago. I saw it on YouTube and thought that’s for me. I’ve found coins, knives, machetes, and of course a hand gun. I was going to keep the hand gun but came to my senses and went to the police station with it. I was shocked and surprised to find that.”
He found the gun in the canal beneath a bridge, just off Leeds Road in Huddersfield, which has been something of a hotspot for weapons.
“I have found four machetes at this same place. I think I have cleaned it out.”
Chris says he goes magnet fishing around once a week, mainly around Huddersfield where he has found most of the interesting things so far.
The Canal and River Trust has previously expressed concern about the use of magnets on is waterways. Some magnet fishers pull out objects and them leave them on the towpath, while others take them to a scrapyard.
On the Trust website it states: “It’s great that people are interested in getting rubbish out of the canal, however we don’t allow magnet fishing as it can be extremely dangerous.
“Items dragged out by magnets could be sharp or heavy and cause you to be dragged into the water. We’ve even had reports of people fishing out old war bombs and dumped weapons.
“When people leave piles of metal on the towpath, it can cause problems for other visitors, for example families with young children.”
In 2018, the dangers of magnet fishing were highlighted following the deaths of two men at Cooper Bridge, Huddersfield. The father and son drowned while on a magnet fishing trip.
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