Five-year-old boy discovers jewellery worth tens of thousands of euros in German pond

Police believe the treasure trove was accumulated through a series of thefts

The Bavarian village of Heideck where the jewellery was found (Google Maps)

A five-year-old boy uncovered a treasure trove worth tens of thousands of euros at the edge of a German pond.

Police said the child came across the stash of stolen jewellery in a pond in the Bavarian village of Heideck, south of Nuremberg, on Wednesday, The Local reported.

Upon first inspection, the selection of rings, bracelets and necklaces was thought to be worth around €10,000 (£8,300), but on Friday a police spokesman said the precious find was actually worth tens of thousands of euros.

The youngster made the discovery while out walking with his family in the early evening.

His parents told the Donaukurier that their son was poking around with a stick in the water and cried out when he saw something glittering.

“At first we just thought that it was wire or something like that,” his father told the newspaper.

“But then we saw there was a fine necklace and that there were a few more in the water.”

The family began retrieving the necklaces from the pond before discovering an entire bag of jewellery.

Some of the expensive items still had price tags on and the father contacted the jeweller named on the tags. They informed him that the items had been stolen and the father called the police.

Police said on Thursday they believed more treasure was hidden in the water and sent down divers to search.

They said in a statement on Thursday the jewellery was “clearly loot”, acquired from several thefts.

“There are several hundred precious items and less valuable jewels,” a police spokesman said on Friday.

Some belongs to a jewellery shop in Erlangen which was robbed in January, but it is unclear how the treasure came to be in the village pond.