WHEN Richard Brock turned up late to a metal detecting event in Shropshire after a three-and-a-half-hour drive from his Somerset home, he thought he was in for a bad day.

The journey, combined with faulty equipment meaning he had to resort to a back-up metal detector, only added to his sense pessimism about the event.

However, 20 minutes later, that all changed, when he started digging – and made a once-in-a-lifetime discovery.

For, six inches deep in the Shropshire mud, the 67-year-old pulled up a gold nugget.

Weighing in at 64.8g, the piece is believed to be the largest find of its kind on English soil.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Mr Brock said. “I turned up late, was only there a matter of minutes, and this treasure-hunting expedition was supposed to last all day.”

The gold turned up on land near Much Wenlock, and may have ended up there as it was the site of a historic railway line made of stone from Wales, an area rich in gold.

Now, it is set to go under the hammer – and could sell for more than £30,000.

It is a lot in an online, timed sale with Shropshire auction house Mullock Jones, which runs until April 1.

“It just goes to show that it doesn’t really matter what equipment you use,” Mr Brock added.

“If you are walking over the find and are alert enough to what might be lurking underneath the soil, that makes all the difference.”