Battle flags retrieved from the killing field of Waterloo by Sir Walter Scott have been found secreted in a store cupboard at the author's home, Abbotsford House near Melrose.

The standards, one British and three French, were recently discovered by the Trustees of Scott's beloved home, carefully wrapped in paper.

Sir Walter Scott's Abbotsford House near Melrose

Sir Walter was so inspired by tales of the battle and the scenes which confronted him that he wrote the poem The Field of Waterloo.

An avid collector of souvenirs and memorabilia, SIr Walter filled his home with a treasure trove of artefacts and historical items, many of which are on public display, including Rob Roy's gun and the Earl of Montrose's sword.

The Trustees of Abbotsford, who aim to raise £10 million to fully restore and conserve the house, hope to display the Waterloo battle flags after suitable restoration has been carried out.

Jacquie Wright, executive manager of the trust, said: "We were very excited to find the banners. They are very rare.

"As you can imagine, they have been lying in a cupboard since 1815 rolled up in bits of paper so the material is very fragile.

"We would absolutely love to have them on display one day."

She added: "It may be that one of the family knew that the banners were there but we had no idea of their existence until just recently when we unravelled them.