Treasure hunters have descended upon gardens and fields across the sleepy Cotswolds village of Winchcombe in search of pieces of meteorite after the space rock crashed onto earth last month.
Today two residents, who did not appear to have metal detectors, were spotted on their hands and knees scouring fields close to one of the sites where the meteorites landed in the hope of finding parts of the scattered and potentially lucrative fireball.
It came after a fragment of the 4.6-billion-year-old meteorite, which was believed to be worth ‘up to £140,000’, was today donated to the Natural History Museum in London after it was discovered on farmer Lachlan Bond’s sheep field on February 28.
The discovery came just a week after the first meteor, which weighed around 300g, was also donated to the Natural History Museum after it pierced through the sky and crashed onto Rob Wilcock’s driveway.
While Mr Wilcock and his family were determined the rock should go to science and not a dealer science, it remains unclear if the residents knew how much the larger rock may have been worth.
Experts now believe dozens of people in Winchcombe may have had a close encounter with the meteorite without realising but they fear a ‘gold rush’ of people turning up with metal detectors could destroy the meteorite’s unique scientific properties.
The latest meteor, which was believed to be worth ‘up to £140,000’, was today donated to the Natural History Museum in London after it was discovered on farmer Lachlan Bond’s sheep field
The lump of meteorite, which fell on the field on February 28, will now be analysed by astronomers
Locals fear the value of the carbonaceous chondrite will encourage more ‘prospectors’ to turn up in the Cotswold village amid a ‘black gold rush’.
One local said: ‘The last thing we want is people trampling across the countryside hoping to strike it lucky. We don’t want that happening.
Pictured, Lachlan Bond, 29, who lives on the land…
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