A community in eastern France have actually ‘struck gold’.

French officials amazed to find stash of gold in old house. They are celebrating after three jars of gold bars and coins were discovered. The jars were found in an old building that had been earmarked for renovation.

The Mayor of the small mountain town of Morez said the find is estimated at €600,000 (£520,000). Town hall officials found three jars on a dusty shelf containing gold bars worth €500,000.

On further inspection a safe was discovered behind a pile of boxes which was full of gold coins worth €150,000. Mayor Laurent Petit said the town centre property had previously been occupied by four brothers and sisters and none had any children.

When the last brother, in his 90’s, passed away last year a relative approached the town hall to buy the three-storey property for €130,000.

Along with many French towns Morez was keen to purchase and renovate the property in the hope of attracting people back to the town.

Laurent Petit said “The house was packed with objects and furniture.

There had been several generations who didn’t throw anything away, kept everything and lived really frugally. I agreed we’d buy the property as it was and we’d gradually empty its contents ourselves.”

Plans for work to start on the house were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. The town was keen to know if anything of historic interest was in the property and the mayor, along with officials, searched through the house a floor at a time. Petit said “Three jars full of gold bars were sitting behind lots of other objects on a shelf.

There was surprise and stupefaction. None of us had ever held a piece of gold. I’d only ever seen gold bars in photos, and thought they must be huge. But these were small, weighing 1kg and the size of a cigarette packet.”

They went on to find a safe in a cupboard behind boxes and discovered hundreds of gold coins. Petit said it was impossible to know which sibling had amassed the fortune. Apparently the elderly relative who sold the house had heard stories of hidden gold in the past but didn’t think they were true.

The money will be spent on a special project that is yet undecided. Petit finished by saying “I can’t say it has turned us into the Las Vegas of France, but it has made us smile.”