A NEOLITHIC flint axe estimated at being between 4,000 and 5,000 years old that has been sitting in a garden shed drawer for 40 years will be available for all to see at the Worcestershire City Museum.

Arthur Mason, aged 80, from Elmley Castle, first found the axe 40 years ago while out in Cropthorne. At the time, Mr Mason did not think much of the small axe, and left it sitting in his garden shed drawer until he decided to show it to his friend Tony Tarran.

Tony, from South Littleton, who enjoys looking around Bredon Hill in search of discovering hidden treasures, was immediately taken aback by the ancient axe.

Tony said: "Arthur showed me the axe after I was talking to him about the bits and bobs I had found at Bredon Hill. When seeing the axe I wondered how old it, was especially as it was so small."

In an attempt to find out more information, the two men took the neolithic axe to the Almonry Museum in Evesham. But staff at the Almonry Museum told Tony and Arthur it needed to be sent to Worcester Portable Antiquities to pinpoint the exact era it originated from.

"We realised how valuable this axe was after speaking to Angela Bolton from Worcester who thought it was 4,000 to 5,000 years old. Most people dream about finding a rare item, but for Arthur, it was sat in his drawer all this time," added Tony.

Portable antiquities scheme officer Angela Bolton from Worcester said: "Although this axe looks small and isn't worth any money in terms of archaeology, it's priceless. To find something like this is unbelievable and Arthur has kindly donated the axe to the Worcestershire City Museum where it can be privately viewed by visitors."

The Neolithic age or new stone age was a period in the development of human technology that is traditionally the last part of the Stone Age. The Neolithic era follows the terminal Holocene Epipalaeolithic periods, beginning with the rise of farming, which produced the Neolithic Revolution and ending when metal tools became widespread in the Copper Age, chalcolithic or Bronze Age or developing directly into the Iron Age, depending on geographical region.