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BEACH FIND: Sally Fielding with the message she found at the Fleet

A WEYMOUTH woman has stumbled across a French tidal information plea - dating back to 1981.

Sally Fielding, 56, was on the beach at Rodden Hive on the Fleet when she found the washed-up film canister.

She was stunned when she discovered it contained a French oceanography survey slip that was dropped into the sea some 27 years ago.

Sally has now completed the slip and sent it back to the Institut de Geographie de Nantes in France and is eagerly awaiting a response from across the channel.

She said: "I just hope that the organisation is still running, because it was so long ago when it was first sent out."

Sally, of Langton Herring, stumbled across the find while she was cleaning up litter on the beach.

She said: "There has been a tremendous amount of rubbish, largely plastic bottles, washed up in recent storms, and I went down to clear some of it.

"I suspect it has blown over Chesil Beach, rather than floating in up the Fleet, because there doesn't seem to be so much in Portland Harbour."

Sally said the slip inside the canister revealed it was dropped from the sailing ship Glenmor in February 1981.

It was dropped near where oil tankers pass off Brittany, France in an effort to study currents able to carry oil slicks to the coast.

Sally has completed the slip's reverse, stating where and when she found it, and returned it as requested to the oceanography department at the Nantes organisation.

She said she could not believe her eyes when she opened up the canister to find the paper inside.

"However it arrived it is pretty amazing that this bit of paper has stayed dry and legible for all these years since 1981," she said.

"I've sent it back and I'm waiting to see if there's any further information forthcoming."

Sally's husband Martin added: "It's quite remarkable. We were so surprised it was in such good condition.

"Sally hasn't heard anything back from France yet but it'll be very interesting to see what happens and what they have to say."

8:38am Thursday 27th March 2008

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