TREASURE hunters hit the jackpot when they unearthed coins dating back to Roman times at a new horse-racing circuit at Great Leighs.

Bosses at Chelmsford City Racecourse asked Braintree Metal Detecting Club to help out with the creation of the track.

Locally-sourced soil had been brought in as one of the layers for the racecourse.

The metal detectorists were brought in to search for any sharp metal objects which could potentially injure horses.

Club chairman Brian Day organised small teams to use their detectors to scour the site.

They were looking for hazards such as nails, pieces of machinery and other rubbish that could cause serious damage to racehorses' hooves.

But the enthusiasts struck gold when they also uncovered Roman and medieval coins and various pieces of jewellery.

They also found hundreds of modern coins from all over the world - believed to reflect the venue's popularity with international race fans.

An astonishing amount of potentially harmful objects - including a computer keyboard - were removed.

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Metal detector group unearths Roman coins at racecourse(https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/north_essex_news/18564576.metal-detector-group-unearths-roman-coins-racecourse/)