NZ demolition worker strikes silver

A New Zealand demolition worker sparked a treasure hunt this week after digging up 11 bars of silver that had been hidden under a West Australian house.

Junior Haare, 30, struck silver while using a digger at a residential site in Perth.

He spotted the bars stored inside plastic pipes as he tore up a concrete pad.

"The plastic pipes it was stored in broke. I had an idea what it was, and took it back to the yard," he told the Herald from Perth last night.

Mr Haare, originally from Kaeo in the Far North, handed the silver to his boss, who gave it to the police.

A dispute has now broken out between the present and previous owners of the house as to who should be able to claim the 5kg bars, worth about $34,000.

The original owners said the silver was bought by their father, and they had the receipts to prove it.

The existing property owners believed the find should be regarded as their property.

Mr Haare's employer, Jeff Hawkings, said in his view the silver belonged to the company because of salvage rights.

But Mr Hawkings felt the original house owners should get to keep it if they could prove it had been bought by their father.

"They say they knew there was silver there somewhere but had never been able to find it ... their father didn't trust the banks."

Senior Constable Fiona Caporn, of the Kensington police, said she sought legal advice and it seemed all parties, including the company Mr Haare worked for, could have "a little bit of a claim".