A builder has discovered a treasure trove of jewellery and returned it to the original owners - a decade after it was lost.

Carpenter Matthew Ding, 24, was working on a renovation of a 100-year-old property in Dedham when he found a box hidden above a fitted wardrobe in one of the bedrooms. On further inspection, he discovered a stash of expensive jewellery including a diamond encrusted brooch, diamond rings, a diamond and pearl necklace, and a gold watch, as well as family heirlooms.

Matthew alerted the existing owners who said they did not own the jewellery but they estimated the treasure’s worth to be significant.

The new owners contacted the previous occupants who recognised the family treasures as their mother’s who had lost the items over ten years ago. Most of the items were gifts from their late father to their mother, including a brooch of his RAF wings.

Mr Ding’s boss Nigel Ponder, founder of Ponder Construction praised his “honesty and integrity”.