Why definition of treasure is changing – and what it means for detectorists

Published

3 years ago

February 18, 2023

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Spending their days in muddy fields armed with their metal detectors and packed lunches, Andy and Lance – aka actors Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones – have brought the simple pleasure of searching for treasure to the masses, thanks to their hit comedy show Detectorists.

Demand for metal detectors has risen in recent years – with experts citing the series and pandemic lockdowns as possible reasons for the surge in popularity.

Under the current rules, newly discovered artefacts can only be legally classified as treasure if they are more than 300 years old and made of precious metal, or part of a collection of valuable objects or artefacts. But now, the legal definition of what constitutes as treasure is changing.

The government plans to amend the definition set out in the Treasure Act to cover more rare and precious archaeological finds, with the plans due to be laid before parliament next week. They are subject to debate, but if approved, the change would come into effect four months later.

It comes after a number of recent discoveries fell outside the definition of treasure, including “spectacular” Roman finds such as the Ryedale Hoard, now at York Museum, and the Birrus Britannicus figurine on display at Chelmsford Museum.

“While these artefacts were, thankfully, acquired by museums, this new definition will make it easier for them to do so in the future,” a spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) told Sky News.

But other finds have been lost to the public – the Roman Crosby Garrett Helmet, for example, which was sold at auction for £2.3m after being discovered by a metal detectorist in 2010. A private buyer outbid several museums to acquire the artefact.

The definition will mean that future discoveries of objects made of non-precious metals, such as the “exceptionally rare” Bronze Age Rudham dirk, a ceremonial dagger which has been on display at Norwich Museum Castle since 2104, after being dug up from a farmer’s field in Norfolk, could now be classed as treasure.

But will all detectorists be happy at the news? Under the act, treasure is owned by the crown and a person who finds an object they believe to be treasure must notify the relevant authorities within 14 days.

Maurice Rogers, the former secretary of Colchester Metal Detecting Club, says he fears the move could drive metal detecting “underground” and result in people hoarding their interesting finds privately.

Potential treasure discoveries are assessed by a coroner and go through a formal process before they are classified and then acquired by a museum to go on display to the public.

There were 1,071 reported treasure finds in total across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 2020, the latest year for which confirmed figures are available; the Treasure Act does not apply to Scotland The provisional figure for reported treasure finds in 2021 is 1,079 – making it the eighth year in a row when reported finds exceeded 1,000.

Following the change to the definition of treasure, there will no doubt be even more.

“At the moment, the definition says that an object has to be precious metal, and it has to be over 300 years old,” says Stephen Parkinson, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay and the minister for arts and heritage. “We want to bring that down to 200 years old. So that it can be made of any metal, but also have a new test for significance.

“So if something has importance to local, regional or national history, or a connection with a particular figure or event from our past, then it can be shared and saved and inspire people.”

The new criteria will apply to the most exceptional finds that are more than 200 years old, regardless of the type of metal they are made from, as they provide an important insight into the country’s heritage. This includes rare objects, those which provide a special insight into a particular person or event, or those which can shed new light on significant regional histories, the DCMS says.

For most detectorists, actual treasure discoveries are rare – just ask Andy and Lance. But there’s always a chance of finding the holy grail.

Entertainment

‘I felt really scared and I felt alone’ – Wicked star Jonathan Bailey on growing up gay in school

Published

13 hours ago

November 15, 2025

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'I felt really scared and I felt alone' - Wicked star Jonathan Bailey on growing up gay in school

“I felt scared and I felt alone and I felt entirely limited at various points in my life”, actor Jonathan Bailey says of growing up gay in school.

While promoting Wicked: For Good, the actor donated one of his interview slots to talk about the charity he is a patron of: Just Like Us, which works with LGBT+ youth in schools.

“That’s something that I would have really benefited from when I was young,” he said, talking exclusively to Sky News about his charitable work.

In surveys of thousands of UK pupils, Just Like Us found that LGBT participants aged 11 to 18 were twice as likely to suffer anxiety, depression and to be bullied, and that only half felt safe at school on a daily basis.

“I experienced all of that,” he said. “It became clear quite early on that something that was very specific and clear to me about who I was, it wasn’t safe and it wasn’t celebrated.”

Whether as Lord Anthony in Bridgerton, being crowned sexiest man alive and as the Winkie Prince Fiyero in Wicked: For Good, Bailey has broken through an outdated stereotype.

Historically, it was considered a career risk to be out – a heterosexual romantic lead’s career was at risk if his sexuality was public.

For the Winkie prince actor, education can play a role in defying limitations.

“This is beyond sexuality,” he said, “it’s race, it’s class, it is where you’re from, we are all given limiting narratives that we have to break free of.

“I thought not only was I not going to be able to play these sorts of parts because of my sexuality, but that I wouldn’t be able to do Shakespeare because I didn’t go to drama school.

“They’re the sort of stories that we need to be reminded of is that actually standing up and being safe enough to be able to say who you really are, and to be vulnerable at that age… these formative years, is inspiring to everyone in the classroom.”

But classrooms in the UK are facing tightening budgets due to “spiralling costs” that threaten to outstrip the growth in school funding.

Citing budget and time pressures on teachers, Just Like Us has made its talks free in schools. Does the actor think the government should be doing more?

He said: “I’m a very proud brother of an incredible teacher who works in the state system, and I know how much she cares about her school, her pupils.

“The resources are being crunched, and the problem is that it will be the arts and it will be really important conversations that Just Like Us bring into the schools and these… things that are going to go, and that’s just really sad.

“But I’m not the person to come up with solutions other than I can do my bit.”

Bailey, Cynthia Erivo and Bowen Yang are among Wicked’s LGBT cast, and in Wicked: For Good, openly gay actor Colman Domingo joins them as the voice of the Cowardly Lion.

But not everyone is encouraging the onscreen representation: A “warning” by conservative group One Million Moms said that the Jon M Chu-directed films are “normalising the LGBTQ lifestyle” to children and takes aim at the cast.

The alert urges people to boycott the sequel “even if you have seen Wicked: Part One”.

When asked about the pushback, Bailey is resolute: “I don’t even acknowledge… the thing that’s important to me is how do I chat to little Johnny in all this.

“I’m thrilled to be living in a time where I can play the Winkie Prince and where Just Like Us is doing the extraordinary work that they’re doing.”

Entertainment

Donald Trump confirms he will sue the BBC over Panorama edit – despite broadcaster’s apology

Published

13 hours ago

November 15, 2025

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Donald Trump confirms he will sue the BBC over Panorama edit - despite broadcaster's apology

Donald Trump has said he will sue the BBC for between $1bn and $5bn over the editing of his speech on Panorama.

The US president confirmed he would be taking legal action against the broadcaster while on Air Force One overnight on Saturday.

“We’ll sue them. We’ll sue them for anywhere between a billion (£792m) and five billion dollars (£3.79bn), probably sometime next week,” he told reporters.

“We have to do it, they’ve even admitted that they cheated. Not that they couldn’t have not done that. They cheated. They changed the words coming out of my mouth.”

Mr Trump then told reporters he would discuss the matter with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the weekend, and claimed “the people of the UK are very angry about what happened… because it shows the BBC is fake news”.

The Daily Telegraph reported earlier this month that an internal memo raised concerns about the BBC’s editing of a speech made by Mr Trump on 6 January 2021, just before a mob rioted at the US Capitol building, on the news programme.

The concerns regard clips spliced together from sections of the president’s speech to make it appear he told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell” in the documentary Trump: A Second Chance?, which was broadcast by the BBC the week before last year’s US election.

Following a backlash, both BBC director-general Tim Davie and BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness resigned from their roles.

‘No basis for defamation claim’

On Thursday, the broadcaster officially apologised to the president and added that it was an “error of judgement” and the programme will “not be broadcast again in this form on any BBC platforms”.

A spokesperson said that “the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited,” but they also added that “we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim”.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump’s lawyers threatened to sue the BBC for $1bn unless it apologised, retracted the clip, and compensated him.

Legal challenges

But legal experts have said that Mr Trump would face challenges taking the case to court in the UK or the US.

The deadline to bring the case to UK courts, where defamation damages rarely exceed £100,000 ($132,000), has already expired because the documentary aired in October 2024, which is more than one year.

Also because the documentary was not shown in the US, it would be hard to show that Americans thought less of the president because of a programme they could not watch.

Newsnight allegations

The BBC has said it was looking into fresh allegations, published in The Telegraph, that its Newsnight show also selectively edited footage of the same speech in a report broadcast in June 2022.

A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC holds itself to the highest editorial standards. This matter has been brought to our attention and we are now looking into it.”

Entertainment

Ariana Grande rushed by red carpet intruder at premiere of Wicked: For Good

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2025

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Ariana Grande rushed by red carpet intruder at premiere of Wicked: For Good

Video footage has shown the moment singer and actress Ariana Grande was accosted by a fan at a film premiere.

Ms Grande was in Singapore for the debut of Wicked: For Good when the incident unfolded on Thursday.

The video captured the moment the fan scaled the barricade and pushed past photographers towards Ms Grande.

He then threw his arms around her, before co-star Cynthia Erivo intervened and security swoops in to stop him.

The man, now identified as Johnson Wen, 26, is reportedly a notorious red carpet crasher.

Wen, who has since been charged with being a public nuisance, goes by the nickname Pyjama Man, and gloated as he shared footage of the intrusion online.

“Dear Ariana Grande, Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You,” he wrote on Instagram.

In video stories posted to the site beforehand, he was seen at the Universal Studios venue, revealing his intentions.

In one, he said: “I feel like I’m in a dream, that’s my best friend, Ariana Grande, and I’m gonna meet her. I’ve been dreaming about that.”

The Australian has ambushed several performers on stage, according to reports, including Katy Perry and The Chainsmokers at concerts in Sydney, and The Weeknd in Melbourne.

It has been reported that Wen intends to plead guilty and that he could face a fine of more than £1,000.

Ms Grande took a moment to gather herself in the aftermath of the intrusion, visibly shocked by the incident.

She didn’t address the incident on her own Instagram, but shared some photos with the caption “thank you, Singapore”, adding “we love you”.

The singer battled post-traumatic stress disorder after her 2017 concert in Manchester was bombed, leaving 22 people dead.

She told Vogue in 2018: “It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. But, yeah, it’s a real thing.

“I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well. Time is the biggest thing.

“I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience – like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.”

In the same interview she also addressed her own anxiety, saying she has “always” had it.

Ms Grande plays Galinda Upland in Wicked: For Good, the character who becomes Glinda the Good Witch. Ms Erivo plays Elphaba, the character who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

The film is released in UK cinemas on 21 November.