A Kent branch of B&Q is experiencing phenomenal sales of spades and sieves as locals crowd onto the beach to prospect for gold.
Last month artist Michael Sailstorfer announced that he had buried 30 pieces of gold in the Folkestone sand. Since then the town's B&Q has been inundated with customers buying tools that might help them uncover the hidden treasure.

The store's trading manager, Chris King, told the Folkestone Herald: "I've never seen anything like it, to be honest. We completely sold out of shovels and sieves and had to place emergency orders to keep up with demand.

"We've even had a 500% uplift in sales of our metal detectors, which are meant to locate wires in walls, but people seem to be trying all sorts in a bid to get their hands on the gold."

Year-on-year sales of digging tools are up 480% overall at the store.

Five gold bars have reportedly already been uncovered.

Meanwhile, B&Q revealed some of its nationwide best sellers as parent Kingfisher delivered its first-half results today.

Sales of its Top 50 Core Essentials value range were up 27%, with top sellers including masking tape, up 113%, Polyfilla, up 50%, floor mop, up 230%, and Flexi Tube, up 318%.

The best seller amongst horticultural lines was Lavender Hidcote, up 35% year on year, while azalea sales rose 9% and hydrangeas 40%.

On the trade side, timber sales rose 18%, building sand 8% and ballast 20%.

The company also introduced a range of Doorbusters to drive footfall. This initiative saw 50,000 orchids sold over a weekend, 250,000 £1 paving slabs sold on one day, 32,000 relaxer chairs go in an hour and 65,000 7kg bags of charcoal go in one weekend.