Russell Crowe joins appeal to track down Lofthouse bride-to-be's missing engagement ring

The acting superstar Russell Crowe has appealed for help to find the ring, which was mislaid by Ruth Bamber, from Leeds, while on holiday with her fiance James Sutcliffe.

Ruth, 31, of Lofthouse, West Yorkshire, and James, 31, left the UK for a six-month career break in April

The couple were in Thailand in June when James popped the question and gave Ruth a temporary engagement ring.

After they headed to New Zealand for a skiing trip, the ring went missing in Queenstown.

Ruth said: "I didn't know how much it meant to me until I told James I had lost it and then I burst into tears.

"I decided the appeal was worth a shot and it has just gone crazy."

Radio stations have since broadcast Ruth's appeal, and Gladiator star Russell Crowe tweeted: "Young Lady from Leeds in distress, can anyone in beautiful Queenstown help out?"

Ruth added: "The ring’s not worth much money so I was torn as to whether I should put all my effort into getting it back or whether I should just accept that it’s gone.

"After speaking to a close friend back home I decided it was worth a shot. I put the word out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on Sunday and by Tuesday it had exploded on Twitter.

"I’ve had so many well wishers and people retweeting in the hopes of reaching someone who knows where it is.

"Three different radio stations in New Zealand have contacted me to put my plea out to their listeners. Even Russell Crowe has jumped on board to help the cause."