Hidden treasure found at Jamie Oliver’s new restaurant

Builders have uncovered US$1.7 million worth of buried treasure while converting an old bank into a restaurant for British celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver.

The Sun newspaper reports that the workers found a vault with hundreds of safety deposit boxes in the basement of the building, located in the British city of Manchester.

The boxes reportedly date back to 1935 when the site was used by the Midland Bank.

The Bank of England could not locate the owners and arranged for a drill to break open the boxes, the Daily Mail says.

Inside they found jewelry, gold, a gun and master tapes by British bands Joy Division and New Order, all of which have been sent to Britain's Treasury department.

Claims the celebrity chef himself "struck gold" were dismissed by a spokesperson, who told the Daily Mail that the haul was removed before they moved in.

It's unlikely to be seen as a huge loss by Oliver, who was estimated to be worth US$172 million in 2011, and that was before the opening of 'Jamie's Italian' in Manchester.