Mystery heirloom found at Tesco store

A 150-year-old discovery has left staff at Tesco in Wath puzzled.

A cleaner came across the slightly-battered photograph album, thought to date back to early Victorian times, under steps outside the store.

Now staff are trying to track down the owner of the leather-bound relic.

Security guard Paul Porter, who is looking after the album, said he was shocked that someone would just leave something so old outside.

“We found it just behind the back of the building near the fire exit, it was just stashed there,” he said. “The earliest pictures have dates from the early 1800s.”

Among the many black-and-white portraits on the album’s decorative pages is one of a teenage girl taken by a Blackpool photographer called T. Tufnell Thompson and one of a girl called “Lillie.”

Paul (37), who has taken the album home to keep it safe, is keen to get it back to whoever it belongs to.

“It must be worth a fair amount of money too,” he said.

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“A friend told me a similar album that dated back from the 1870s sold for around

£100,000 and that was later than this one.

“It’s not in the best of condition but that’s to be expected with its age.

“We just want to get it back to its rightful owner. Somebody must know something about it.”

The images include portraits of a family which have been printed on card.

Paul added: “I have seen some old albums before but nothing like this.

“It’s like it's been taken from one of those old cameras where people had to sit there for hours.

“If anybody has any idea about who it might belong to, I would urge them to come into Tesco at Wath with some proof that it is theirs.”