Change to treasure law ‘will keep more artefacts in UK museums’

Revised legislation for England, Wales and Northern Ireland will broaden the definition of treasure

A rise in the number of detectorists unearthing historical artefacts has prompted an effort to broaden the legal definition of treasure to help museums to acquire important items.

The heritage minister, Stephen Parkinson, said some items had been lost into private ownership rather than displayed publicly in museums, due to the wording of the Treasure Act 1996.