A fancy beetle

My digging unearthed this chap who looked very smart in the sunshine with his iridescent purple border. According to the Wildlife Trust he is a Violet Ground Beetle:

The Violet Ground Beetle is a common beetle found in gardens, farmland and meadows. Ground beetles are active, nocturnal predators, chasing and catching smaller invertebrates; they are particularly helpful to gardeners as they prey on many 'pest' species such as slugs. They can often be found resting during the day under logs and stones and in leaf litter. Adult females lay their eggs in soil and the larvae hatch, becoming active predators themselves.