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Bloke Takes A Stroll With His Metal Detector And Becomes Millionaire

Bloke Takes A Stroll With His Metal Detector And Becomes Millionaire

What a pleasant afternoon.

Mark McGowan

Mark McGowan

Ever had a metal detector? You might have had a toy one when you were younger. They're great. Skip about the beach in the hope that you might uncover some treasure, buried by pirates years and years ago.

In the end you usually dug up a discarded spoon and, if you're lucky, an old mobile phone that is so worthless it's been tossed away into the sand.

For some though metal detecting is an actual hobby that isn't done with a £19.99 toy from Argos. Derek McLennan is one of those people, and luckily for him his hobby is set to make him a millionaire.

Credit: PA

Out in south west Scotland back in 2014 with his detector he stumbled onto a patch of land where the device went crazy because it had found something. He set about uncovering it and it turned out to be Britain's biggest ever collection of Viking treasure dating back to the tenth century, according to The Independent.

There were over 100 different artifacts in the treasure, which certainly beats old, rusty cutlery. Experts say the objects are "outstanding and exceptional".

Derek handed over his findings to Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (QLTR), who have the right to goods found on a property without an owner. They were then passed to the Scottish National Museum for display, under one condition.

That condition, much to Derek and his partner's delight, was a payment of £1.9 million. Not too shabby.

Credit: PA

"We are honoured and feel privileged to have saved this internationally significant treasure and we look forward to the many exciting discoveries that will be further revealed," Sharon McKee, Dereck's partner, wrote on Facebook. "We cannot wait for its eventual display in Scotland's National Museum."

I wonder how many people will go out and buy a metal detector now?

A 14-year-old had a rather different experience when using his metal detector, unearthing four shotguns, a semi-automatic rifle and thousands and thousands of bullets wrapped in black bin-bags.

They were found in Greater Manchester, and local police investigated the weapons to see if they were involved in previous shootings.

The schoolboy and his dad, who haven't been named for fear of reprisals from possible gangsters, said he was shocked by the discovery in 2015.

"There were thousands and thousands of bullets. I thought he meant old lead bullets that you can get some scrap money for," his dad said. "When I went to pick him up I couldn't believe what was in the bags. I started panicking and just called the police."

Featured Image Credit: PA