Dealers accused of tricks that turn ordinary desks into £1m antiques

Buyers are being warned about the over-restoring or upgrading of furniture to make it appear more valuable

Dealers are over-restoring and upgrading furniture with modern additions disguised to make them look older and more valuable, a leading expert has warned.

Yannick Chastang, former furniture conservator of the Wallace Collection, which boasts one of the world’s finest furniture holdings, can no longer turn a blind eye to what some dealers and restorers are doing.