Nazi gold train: 'No evidence' of discovery in Poland

Geologists scotch claim that train was hidden underground by the Germans as Soviet forces approached in 1945

Experts use Ground-penetrating radar to inspect an area where a World War II Nazi train is supposed to be hidden (Getty)

There is no evidence that a Nazi train carrying gold and diamonds was buried in Poland at the end of the Second World War, according to experts.

Polish geologists say they have found no traces of a train at a site in Walbrzych - but say there may be a tunnel nearby.

Experts from a mining academy in Krakow examined the site in south-western Poland last month using magnetic and gravitation methods.

Walbrzych (AP Photo/Str)

The head of the team, Janusz Madej, said on Tuesday that "according to our examination, there might be a tunnel there but there is no train there".

Earlier this year two explorers told authorities in the city of Walbrzych they had located an armored Nazi train hidden in a secret tunnel in the city.

They demanded 10 per cent of the value of the train's contents if searches turned anything up.

According to local lore, the Nazis hid a train with gold in a secret tunnel as Soviet troops approached in 1945.

Legend has it that the train was carrying gold from what is now Wroclaw, and that it went missing near Ksiaz castle, a couple of miles frrom Walbrzych.

The Nazis constructed many miles of tunnels under Walbrzych during the war.

Poland's deputy minister of culture, Piotr Zuchowski, said in August that he was "99 per cent convinced" that a German army train was buried near to Walbrzych, after viewing ground-penetrating radar of the area.

He said information about the train had come from a deathbed confession of someone who knew about it.

The Polish government later backtracked on Mr Zuchowski's claim, saying the evidence was in fact no stronger than that used to back up earlier, similar claims.