Eight Egyptians involved in a botched repair of the famed golden burial mask of King Tutankhamun have been referred to trial for “gross negligence”.

The damage was corrected late last year but prosecutors said in a statement on Sunday that the 3,300-year-old mask, whose beard was accidentally knocked off and hastily glued on with epoxy in 2014, was scratched as a result.

The eight - including the the then-head of the Egyptian Museum and the chief of the restoration department - face fines and disciplinary measures including dismissal.

“In an attempt to cover up the damage they inflicted, they used sharp instruments such as scalpels and metal tools to remove traces of adhesive on the mask, causing damage and scratches that remain,” the statement said, citing an investigation.

The mask was put back on display last month after a German-Egyptian team of specialists removed the epoxy and reattached the beard using beeswax, which is often used as an adhesive for antiquities.

Restoration specialist Christian Eckmann said a year ago that the cause of a scratch discovered on the mask had had not been determined, but that it could have been recent.