WORCESTER'S Cathedral roundabout dig has sprung up some surprises - including a police cap from the Second World War and an Anglo-Saxon storage jar.

An exhibition is being held in the city later this month after the much-publicised, 10-week archaeological dig uncovered some items of real historical interest.

As part of the £1.1 million Cathedral plaza revamp, back in March the county council started an excavation of the island that resulted in part of the old Lich Street coming back into view.

The Anglo-Saxon storage jar is the same type as those produced in Stafford, near Wolverhampton from 800 AD to around the time of the Norman Conquest.

And a military cap, which was found in good condition, dates from 1936 to 1946 and is likely to have belonged to a soldier serving in the Corps of Military Police during the war.

The diggers have also unearthed an early piece of Royal Worcester Porcelain, and a mediaeval roof tile made between the 13th and 15th centuries to replace thatched roofs that had caught fire.

The exhibition is free and will run at Tudor House Museum, in Friar Street on Thursday, July 23 and Saturday, July 25, from 10am to 4pm on both days.

Paul Hudson, outreach manager for Worcestershire's archive and archaeology service, said: "This exhibition is in response to popular demand and will give people a wonderful chance to see and handle artefacts from the dig and talk to experts.

"As Tudor House Museum is just around the corner from Lich Street it is the perfect venue to show people the things that were found at the roundabout."

Also on display will be historic photos of the area, old maps and detailed information about the archaeology.

Back in March people were asked to stop crossing the road to peek at the island's appearance due to safety concerns.

Lich Street was largely residential and led down to Friar Street, but vanished more than 50 years ago when the homes were knocked down to create the Cathedral island on top of it.

The fascinating cellars exposed during the dig belonged to Georgian and Victorian properties which formed part of the old Lich Street, some of which were still standing in the 1960s.