Two men who stole a Herefordshire Anglo-Saxon treasure hoard worth more than £3.2m have been ordered to repay over £600k each.

George Powell, 41, and Layton Davies, 54 were found guilty of theft, conspiracy to conceal criminal property and conspiracy to convert criminal property.

They were sentenced to 10 years and eight years and six months in prison respectively, later reduced to six years and five years after an appeal.

At Worcester Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Cartwright rejected the evidence presented by both men at the contested hearing giving a number of reasons, which mainly centred around conflicting evidence presented in both the 2019 criminal trial and the Confiscation Contested Hearing.

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He also rejected Davis’s claims that he played a reduced role in the criminal enterprise claiming he didn’t stand to benefit equally with Powell.

The judge disagreed and made a hidden assets order whereby he determined that they both still possess the coins and that the value of these coins is £600,000 each.

George Powell must repay £601,250 and Layton Davies £603,180 in full within three months from December 21, or they will serve five years and four months imprisonment each in default of payment. This term is in addition to their original sentence.

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The convictions followed a lengthy investigation by West Mercia Police following several reports from the metal detecting community and the British Museum of an unreported large treasure find near Eye in Herefordshire in 2015.

​It was discovered that the men had visited the site of the Herefordshire Hoard, which included Anglo-Saxon coins, jewellery and silver ingots during spring 2015.

They not only failed to disclose the extent of their discovery - a requirement under the Treasure Act 1996 - but also sold a large number of the items for significant personal financial gain.

​The treasure was described by experts as being of national importance both for Anglo-Saxon coinage and for the wider understanding of a key period in English history.

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Superintendent Edd Williams, local policing commander for Herefordshire, said: “I’m delighted with today’s result, which brings closure to an investigation which we have been working on for seven years.

“The Confiscation Order, coupled with the sentences Powell and Davies received, send a strong and clear message that we take this sort of crime very seriously and will take action.

"It is a criminal offence to not declare finds of treasure to the local coroner’s office.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our partners, including Herefordshire Council’s conservation and environment team and The British Museum, for their support in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”