GOLD seeker Jim Longton this week returned from Germany empty-handed -- but with mountains of memories.

Internationally-renowned dowser Jim had travelled with two colleagues in search of Nazi gold believed to be hidden in Bavaria.

Jim, of Euxton, armed with his trusty dowsing stick, had reckoned he knew where it was. He said: "We never found the gold, but I think we found where it was.

"We found spent bullets and tins for eating. That was the only hole I could get to."

Jim, 67, said the journey through the mountains was tough and arduous and that his two friends at one point "literally carried me down, the sweat was dripping off me".

They made their base at Walchensee and began their quest in the mountains.

Jim added: "Of the five caches I found, there was only one I could get to.

"We were walking with walky talkies. What we did find up there was military artefacts. I knew exactly where to go, I made plans and maps.

"I didn't find any Nazi gold, but I'm not saying there's none left. But if there's any left it's few and far between.

"A lot of it has been recovered now, but they reckon there's still some there."

The gold is believed to have been stolen from banks and individuals from countries occupied by the Germans during 1945-47. Many experts have attempted to discover its whereabouts.

"It's what the Nazis took from countries. A lot of the gold bars were made out of gold teeth from Jews and their gold spectacles," said Jim.

He has worked throughout this country and abroad on 'special' projects after being commissioned to find a whole range of hidden secrets for people.