ESSEX is one of the country's hotspots for treasure finds, with dozens of discoveries made last year.

Fortune hunters and metal detectorists made more than 50 discoveries in 2020, figures from the British Museum and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport show – the country's joint sixth biggest haul.

It means a total of 619 finds have been reported in Essex since records began in 2012.

The British Museum said restrictions on people's exercise during coronavirus lockdowns contributed to a boost in unexpected garden discoveries last year.

Nationally, more than 6,000 finds – which can include a single object or a hoard of coins – were recorded with the museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme during the first lockdown alone, when hunting with a metal detector outside the home was banned.

In 2020, 249 treasure finds were reported across the East of England.

The Treasure Act currently defines treasure as finds older than 300 years and made of gold or silver, or artefacts made of precious metals.

Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the number of treasure finds in 2020 was 1,077, topping 1,000 for the seventh year in a row.