AN AMATEUR metal detectorist struck bronze after discovering a 3,000-year-old artefact on the Isle of Wight.

Banbury resident Christopher Preece stumbled across the knife, thought to be a tool for cutting leather that dates back to between 1000BC and 800BC, while holidaying at his sister’s house on the island in June.

Now the brass object has been identified and is on show at the Isle of Wight’s Roman Villa Museum.

The 50-year-old said: “It’s a metal detectorist’s dream to make this sort of discovery. I always take my equipment to pass the time.

“I was on the coast of Sandown, and the cliffs are slowly crumbling into the sea, so I like to try to find things before they’re lost forever.”

After finding the knife, along with a button dating back to the 17th century, the former car panel beater gave the pieces to the museum.

He added: “They were so excited by it, that’s really the reward. As I was scanning I heard the metal detector go off, I lifted a rock and there it was.

“What excites me is the thought that I’m the first person to handle this for 3,000 years.”

The Green Lane resident also uses his metal detector in Oxfordshire, where he has discovered Roman coins.

He said: “I haven’t made any discoveries here that could match this.

“The Romans were all over the place so those sort of finds are quite common.”