18 carat gold nugget found on Westward Ho! beach

There is proof the north Devon coast really is the golden coastline after a treasure hunter struck gold by finding an 18 carat nugget on Westward Ho! beach.

Merlin Cadogan found it with his metal detector last week and said he "couldn't believe his eyes". The find is worth a small fortune.

Merlin's last brush with gold came through the colour of his diving helmet when he shocked judges on Britain's Got Talent in 2009 by juggling fire while underwater.

He is still an escapologist performing during the tourist season, but in the winter he is out with his metal detector collecting all types of finds.

The nugget might well be smelted gold and its value could be between a thousand to four thousand pounds. Merlin believes there is more gold in the beaches.

The charasmatic collector was taking his gold to Barnstaple museum today to be officially recorded and to discover if this will be a lucrative finders keepers.

You can watch Seth Conway's report below: