Mysterious Littlehampton artefact dating from 1880 saved from fire

Colin Treagus, 78, was given the cup around seven years ago by a man called Derek Matthews from Lansdowne Road, Wick, via Colin's mother Florence, who lived down the same road.

According to the retired boat builder, Derek gave it away because he was moving - but within a month, his house was burnt out in a fire, meaning the antique could have been lost forever.

Colin said: "I have never seen anything like it to be honest."

The Chinese-style engraved trophy, named the '220 Yards Handicap Challenge Cup', dates back to the 1880s, and according to Colin the silver-based artefact has been valued at £250.

The engraving on the other side reads: "Presented to the Arundel Amateur Athletic Club by Comley Lambert esq 1880, transferred to the Littlehampton Sports Committee 1899."

Despite Colin's best efforts, he has been unable to find any trace of the Littlehampton Sports Committee, and said Arundel Museum and Littlehampton Museum were none the wiser.

The names on the bottom of the trophy begin with F. Sturt, who won it in 1880, and end with P.G. Matthews in 1908 - meaning it was presumably a relative of Derek's and stayed in the family.

Colin said: "I don't want to sell it; if I can find a historian interested in it, I would let them have it. It's no good to me."

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