Leeds brothers find huge WWI machine gun and gun used in armed robbery while magnet fishing

Little Leo Nixon, four, Riley, five, and Reece, 14, have each pulled a weapon from murky waters as they joined their dad and cousin on their weekend hobby.

Amazingly, Reece's find was a 106-year-old Vickers gun - a .303 British (7.7 mm) machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, for the British Army.

The machine gun typically required a six to eight-man team to operate - one fired, one fed the ammunition, the rest helped to carry the weapon, its ammunition, and spare parts.

It took two people, Reece and his self-employed construction worker dad, William, 49, to pull it from the canal at Rotherham.

They have since found out that the canal is opposite a smelting factory that melted down old munitions.

This one had escaped the furnace and has now been placed in a museum.

Cousin Craig Parkinson, a 28-year-old publican, who runs their own magnet group, calling themselves Leeds Magneters, said: "Any guns that you find have to go straight to the police.

"We have since been told the machine gun has been given to a museum but we don't know anything more about it. We'd love to find out so we can see it on display."

The next rare find came from Riley, five, in January when he fished out a German handgun at a canal in Lincoln.

They have since been told the gun had been used in an armed robbery.

And then little Leo, four, found his own BB gun in the canal at Burnley on Sunday.

He has been able to keep that.

Craig said: "In magneting terms this is brilliant. Magneters have a bucket list of rare and unusual finds, with guns being the number one.

"These boys have ticked that list straight away, with Leo probably being the youngest ever to find one.

"He is certainly the youngest I have seen out fishing."

Dad-of-six, William said: "I'm so proud of my boys. It's a great hobby to have, and a great way of spending time with each other. We love it.

"I can't believe my boys have found a gun before I have."

Magnet fishing is searching outdoor waters for metal objects to pull with a strong magnet.

The hobby has been adopted by celebrities such as English rugby player James Haskell.

The hobby is a combination of environmentalism and treasure hunting.

The magnets used are strong enough to remove large debris such as discarded bicycles, guns, safes, bombs, coins and car tire rims from bodies of water, but many who engage in the hobby are hoping to find rare and valuable items as well.

It is thought magnet fishing was initially started by boaters using magnets to recover fallen keys from the water.