Builders renovating a cellar in a former brewhouse in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, Belgium, uncovered a hidden hoard of gold worth an estimated £7.5million hidden inside a wall. The discovery, made by an 18-year-old student worker named Kobe while working on sewage piping, has drawn crowds of hopeful treasure-hunters to the site, prompting police to warn people away from the dangerous construction area. The find raises questions about who is entitled to the gold, with police now investigating its origins.

The stash, which included gold bars, gold nuggets and numerous coins, was reportedly stored either in a chest or wrapped in plastic. Many of the gold bars appear to date from around 1957 to 1961, and the treasure has since been transferred to a high-security Belgian government vault. Geert Hillaert of the charity CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, which owns the building, said it could take years to establish whether the gold is linked to past criminal activity or whether rightful owners can be identified, and it remains unclear whether the charity or the construction firm will receive any reward.