German man recovers treasure 'lost in floods'

Deadly floods earlier this month caused substantial damage in Simbach am Inn and dozens of other towns

An elderly man in southern Germany has recovered his cash hidden in a metal container which he feared was lost in recent floods, local officials say.

The 81-year-old from the town of Simbach am Inn first told police he had buried the money in his house which was now in danger of collapse.

A team of experts was sent to search the house - but no treasure was found.

The man then remembered he had hidden the box in his garden - and a "five-digit sum" of cash was then retrieved.

The officials say an excavator was used to dig through the garden to find the container about two metres (six feet) under the surface.

The cash will now be deposited in the bank account of the man whose name has not been released.

Four people died in Simbach am Inn, on the Austrian border, in floods earlier this month.

The floods also caused substantial damage to dozens of towns in the region.