Warning to treasure hunters

Metal detectorist Terry Herbert's discovery of a hoard worth more than £1 million on farmer Fred Johnson's field at Brownhills has ignited hopes of finding more in the area. The exact location of the treasure field has not been revealed and, while police are continuing to monitor the site, experts say they believe everything of value has been unearthed.

Staffordshire Police remind people they should not go on private land with metal detectors without owners' permission.

Click here to see pictures of the hoard.

Roger Bland, head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, said:"We are still very concerned about protecting the site. We are convinced that the whole hoard has been uncovered."

The hoard, scattered by ploughing, was in a 20-yards square area. Mr Herbert, aged 55, of Burntwood, found the hoard, described as "a fantastically important discovery" just below the surface of the field.

Mr Johnson, who owns the field, off the A5, is hoping that treasure hunters will not descend on his land hoping to find more.

He said he hoped people would not be tempted to dig up his land. "Everything has now been put back on the site," he added.

Mr Johnson said Mr Herbert was fortunate as eight others tried their luck in the field. "They must be kicking themselves because they couldn't find a thing.

"I think because the ground is on a mound, the top soil must have been washed away and coupled with the fact I've been ploughing the land, this is what must have brought the artefacts up to the surface."

Mr Herbert made his find with a 14-year-old detector.

Superintendent Jon Drake said the field was searched using specialist equipment and there is nothing left to be found. "In fact it is probably now the least likely site for finding treasure in the whole county. We would ask people to remember to respect that the land in question is privately owned," he said.