A VETERAN children’s entertainer has told how a blazer-wearing drunk threw his magic horseshoes puzzle into the River Wear as he performed in Durham city centre.

Street magician Alfred Hill, 73, has being entertaining crowds on the cobbled streets of the historic city for over 20 years.

VIDEO: CCTV captures the cruel moment Alfred Hill's puzzle is thrown into the River Wear by a blazer-wearing drunk

When a crowd of revellers approached the great-grandfather on Framwellgate Bridge, he asked one if he could try to remove a steel ring from the chain between the horseshoes.

But instead of playing along, the man swore at Mr Hill and threw the metal puzzle into the river below.

The Northern Echo: Stuart Boulton

Street magician Alfred Hill

The incident left Mr Hill, who lives in Chester-le-Street, with his wife, Elsie, devastated as he bought the item 20 years ago at a Blackpool convention for £50 and it had a lot of sentimental value.

"I am quite famous for this puzzle and no other magicians are doing it," he said.

“Normally, when I present people with this and show them the trick all I get is respect and politeness from even the toughest looking people and teenagers.

“But he didn’t even attempt it. He just said: ‘I don’t want it’ and threw it in.

“What happened was quite shocking. I was very upset by it.”

The Northern Echo: Stuart Boulton

Street magician Alfred Hill with an officer where the puzzle was thrown into the river

Mr Hill said the man was in his 30s, smartly dressed in a blazer, and was celebrating his birthday with a group of around 12 men when the incident happened at around 2.20pm on Saturday October 1.

Mr Hill, who has two children, four step-children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, performs magic and makes balloon animals at children’s parties as ‘Uncle Alf’.

“First of all I said I want justice, but if he came up to me and said ‘I am terribly sorry, would you accept my apology’, then I would say ‘yes’.”

Police have been alerted and are studying CCTV footage of the incident and are trying to trace the man responsible.

PC Jayne Marshall has also arranged for police divers from Northumbria Police’s marine unit to carry out a training exercise at the spot it was thrown in on Wednesday morning to see if they can find it.

She said: “I could see how it had affected him and the ultimate goal here is to get his horseshoes back.

“It is a heavy item so I am hoping it has just sunk and gone straight down where it was thrown in.

“We know roughly where that was so I am hoping it is going to be sat at the bottom.”

Anyone with information about the man responsible can call police on 101.