A metal detectorist said he “couldn’t believe it” when he found an Anglo-Saxon gold pyramid sword mount that could be worth £20,000.

Fraser Bailey, 37, made the discovery in a field near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk on 8 January.

Mr Bailey said he had been searching the field for a while and only found “a load of shredded aluminium cans”.

“I almost didn’t dig when I got the signal as I thought it would be another can,” he said.

“But I stuck my spade in the ground and put my hand in the mud and there was just a gold pyramid staring at me.

“I couldn’t believe it.”

Mr Bailey said he knew exactly what the item was as he had recently seen a similar item at a local museum.

He said the item was part of a matching pair and so he had been back to the field to try and find it.

The item is now with the local finds liaison officer and a hearing will take place to decide if the item is treasure.

When it came to the value, Mr Bailey said there had been “several figures banded about”.

“I know one sold for close to £20,000 some years ago,” he said.

If the item is sold, Mr Bailey will split the amount 50/50 with the landowner.

Mr Bailey said he first got into metal detecting when he was about eight or nine years old as his father was a keen detectorist.

“He found several items over the years,” Mr Bailey said.

“He’s found Roman coins and quite a few Medieval coins.”