Builders renovating a property in Dendermonde, Belgium, found gold bars and coins reportedly worth about €9m hidden inside cellar walls. The discovery has prompted a police investigation and raises questions over ownership, as the find could ultimately benefit both the workers and the welfare charity that owns the building.

The hoard was uncovered while foundations were being drilled for new sewage pipes, and police have moved it to a secure location. Under Belgian law, a rightful owner has five years to claim it; if nobody does and it is not linked to crime, the treasure may be divided between the finders and CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, the charity that owns the property.