A method and apparatus for separating ferrous metal particles from non-ferrous metal particles suspended in a liquid, such as a coolant from a machining operation, in which mixed particle containing liquid is discharged across a horizontal, non-magnetic separating surface; the magnetic ferrous metal particles are captured by a magnetic force exerted by an array of parallel magnets disposed underneath the separating surface, the non-magnetic non-ferrous metal particles are washed by the liquid into a collecting flume from where they can be passed to a filtering station for removal from the liquid, and the captured ferrous metal particles are scraped from the separating surface and conveyed to a ferrous metal discharge by a scraper conveyor which moves transversely to the discharge direction of the liquid.