A DORSET builder has turned detective to track down the owner of this unusual First World War memento.

Dean Watson has spent the past three weeks trying to trace the origins of the gold necklace which he found in Meyrick Park.

"I live in Weymouth but was up this way visiting my parents and walking the dog in the park," he said. "I found the necklace under some trees. It was partly covered by growth so I don't know how long it had been there."

He retrieved the jewellery and set about trying to trace its owner.

The gold necklace is inscribed with the words: "Presented to P Foreman by The Grainger Social Club for services rendered European War 1914-1919." It also has identifying marks on the back which Dean is keeping secret in order to help verify the owner, if they come forward.

"I put it on Facebook and so far its had over 334 shares and so it could have been seen by more than 150,000 people," he said. "So far, though, no one has said that it's theirs."

He has received help from people on Facebook, one of whom traced the Grainger Social Club from a report in the Newcastle Daily Chronicle on January 8 1920 which reported a 'Welcome Home' event for members who had returned from the Great War.

"The supper, dance and entertainment was held in the Brighton Assembly Rooms in Newcastle and during the proceedings there was a silence in memory of fallen members," said the report. During the event "suitably inscribed gold medals" were made to members including a P Foreman.

Another person contacted Dean to say he had tracked down a Robert Foreman whose son, P Foreman, was listed as a mourner at his funeral in 1914. The 1911 census also shows a Phillip Foreman born in 1899 who was the son of Robert and Annie and whose family trade was upholstery.

Dean is due to meet a representative from Duke's Auctioneer's to see if they can shed any more light on the item's provenance or owner.

"I don't know how it got into Meyrick Park but I think that if it had been stolen, the person who took it would just have tried to sell it for scrap," he said.

*If you have any information Dean can be contacted on deanpeterwatson@yahoo.co.uk