Staffordshire Hoard to be sent to the Louvre

Items from the Staffordshire Hoard are to be sent to the Louvre in Paris.

Experts there are to examine the items to see if they can help shed any more light on the origins of the gold and silver Anglo-Saxon treasure.

The 1,500 pieces from the Seventh Century were uncovered last July in a farmer's field on the Burntwood/Brownhills border.

It was a year ago today that the find, which was valued at £3.3 million, was revealed to the world.

Now, through a European funded scheme, one of the Louvre experts will examine artefacts with garnets embedded to establish where they came from. It is possible they originated in as India, Afghanistan or Sri Lanka.

The items will not be on display at the Louvre.