HISTORY student Laura Lane has gone to the top of the class after discovering a 5,000-year-old relic - in the playground!

The eight-year-old was scrabbling around St Oswalds First School's playground when she came across the flint believed to have originated from Norfolk.

Archaeologists at Hartlebury's County Museum confirmed the relic was a rare piece and used to be part of an ancient knife.

Laura's mum, Kate, said: "She was thrilled when she knew how old it was!

"Laura loves history and is always digging around for archaeology."

Laura's teacher, John Griffiths, said the piece was probably dug up when the Kidderminster school was built.

He said: "It is only five years old so it has probably been lying near the top of the soil for a while.

"I think Laura was just looking around and came across it."

Mrs Lane said the piece would now be framed as part of Laura's fossil collection.

"Laura has quite a few pieces now - it is something she really loves doing, " she added.