A 10-YEAR-old boy made a fascinating discovery in a stream.

Dylan Lammiman was enjoying his daily walk with his family and dog when he saw a handle peeking out from the side of the riverbank.

The youngster decided to investigate and discovered a Second World War 'jungle' mug, a mug used by soldiers for numerous purposes, including to eat out of, to rinse their mouth after brushing their teeth and even used in the process of shaving their beards.

Dylan, from Winterborne Kingston, said of his find on Easter Sunday: "When I first saw it, I wasn't quite sure what it was. But we now know that it's a British mug and we think it was given to the American soldiers who had a camp near here."

Dylan and his mum Hannah hope that once lockdown is over, they will be able to consult a local Second World War expert, as well as the Tank Museum at Bovington to see if they can learn more about this artefact.

Hannah said: "Finding this mug was very important. World War II is very prominent at the moment with everyone having to stay inside. This has helped us find other things to do and explore. It's also great for Dylan as he loves history."

Dylan added: "I knew it was either going to be an artefact from World War II or just a fishing mug."

The mug is neither rusty nor badly damaged, only bent with a few cracks in places.

The good condition of the old mug is what propelled the family to find out how it kept well, despite being half submerged in a stream for around 80 years.

Hannah explained: "The mug is painted in hard paint which stops it chipping so much. It's like those white and blue-rimmed camping mugs. The colourful rim isn't for decoration, it's to protect the mug.

"This one is green enamel as it's from the military."

Dylan and Hannah have also found an intact silver spoon, pieces of pottery and much more and they plan to add to their collection over the coming weeks.