No burglar's loot was found, no firearms, ammunition or anything sinister -- just a few drinking glasses and bottles and an old cash till which was empty and oozing slimy silt.

That was the disappointing "treasure trove" recovered by a Thames Valley police underwater search unit as divers groped around the murky waters of the Thames under Abingdon Bridge yesterday. The exercise was part of the unit's regular search of rivers and canals under roads in the Thames Valley.

Supervisor Andy Clark said: "You never know what you're going to retrieve. The water underneath bridges is a popular place for criminals to dump property that has been stolen. Sometimes we can identify objects, trace them back and track down offenders."

Pictured right are police divers Tom French, Martin Armstrong and Andy Clark with the cash till.