A SOUTHAMPTON metal detector enthusiast who discovered one of the largest Anglo-Saxon coin hoards ever found in Britain described it as ''pure fate'' as the treasure went on display at the British Museum.

Paul Coleman found more than 5,200 silver coins from the 11th century in the village of Lenborough, Buckinghamshire, during a Christmas dig on December 21.

The uself-employed 59-year-old said that finding treasure for the first time in 40 years as a metal detector fan felt ''like winning the pools'' as the coins were put on show for the public at the museum in Bloomsbury, central London.

His is the biggest Anglo-Saxon coin hoard found since the Treasure Act began in 1996 and includes coins from the reigns of kings Ethelred the Unready (978-1013 and 1014-1016) and Canute the Great (1016-1035).

Mr Coleman said: 'On the day it just seemed to be a thing that was bound to happen anyway, it was so natural and I can't explain that.

Daily Echo:

''It's like when you win something on a raffle and you have a sixth sense that it was going to happen. I had that feeling, that the day was going to end well.''

There has been speculation that the hoard, which is in good condition, could possibly be worth as much as £1.3 million, which Mr Coleman would have to split with the landowner.