Court order on treasure

A Shropshire woman has been ordered to hand over an historic coin after being brought to court in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the county.

Kate Harding, 23, of The Hawthorns, Ludlow, today admitted finding an object that was believed to have been treasure and not reporting it to the coroner during a hearing at Ludlow Magistrates Court.

Magistrates ordered the coin to be handed over, gave Harding a conditional discharge and told her to pay £25 of the £300 court costs

Mr Brendan Reedy, for Harding, said the coin, known as a piedfort, was unearthed by Harding and her mother in a garden in Tenbury Wells years ago and was of great sentimental value to the defendant.

He said Harding had been given the coin by her mother when she was just nine years old and her mother had died soon after. Mr Rob Edwards, prosecuting, said Harding visited Ludlow Museum in January last year with the artefact and spoke to expert Peter Reavill.

Mr Edwards said: "She told him that she had found the item while digging in her garden."

The court heard the item was identified as a 14th century piedfort which is of historical significance. After establishing what it was Mr Reavill wrote to Harding and told her she must report the find to the coroner within 14 days under the 1996 Treasure Act.

Under the act, a person who finds an object which they believe is treasure must notify the coroner.

The court heard that Harding failed to respond to telephone calls and missed several appointments to meet with Mr Reavill and he later informed the coroner who in turn called the police.

Mr Edwards said that during a police interview in May, Harding said she did not know why she had not repor-ted it and that she had a lot going on. Mr Reedy said that his client failed to report the find because of disorganisation and that the piedfort had sentimental value.

He said: "She told me 'me and my mum found it where we used to live and I suppose she sort of gave it me when she died'."

By Sophie Bignall